A new twist on an old standby.

The BLT is one of the most renowned sandwiches of all time. From truck stop diners, to upscale eateries, everyone has their own twist on this old favorite. No matter the place, the three ingredients stay the same for the most part. Well last night, while looking for a snack, I put a new, and slightly healthier twist on one of my favorite sandwiches, and the results were delicious.



I started with multigrain bread, because that’s what I normally have around. Although I do love white bread, it just has no nutritional value, and often can’t hang with the mammoth sandwiches I have been known to construct. After a quick run in the toaster, they get slathered with mayo. This is one of the most important parts of the BLT. It adds moisture and creaminess, and is a perfect match with both tomatoes and bacon. On the mayo, the first layer is tomato. I was lucky enough to be able to use a fresh tomato just picked from the garden. There is just no comparison with a store bought tomato. On the tomato, I crack sea salt and black pepper. Seasoning the tomato directly makes a huge difference, and really can affect the taste of your sandwich.

The next layer is bacon. This time I substituted turkey bacon. It is a great, lighter alternative to its beloved pork brethren. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE bacon, but turkey bacon, when cooked right, is a great substitute. It’s often difficult to tell when its done, and very easy to burn. Just keep an eye on it, and if you have to discard a couple of the first pieces, so be it. After the turkey bacon came the cheese. Cooper Sharp. So good, and the creaminess is perfect for the middle of the sandwich, and the zing of the “sharp” is so tasty, it makes you wonder why Cooper Sharp is not a more popular cheese. Try and compare it to American, and you will be craving Cooper every time.

I then piled a handful of arugula (to add a spicy/peppery kick), and followed it with a couple pieces of crisp romaine, and another slather of mayo on the other side of toast. Cut it in half and enjoy. Try this sandwich and you will be a believer in the TBLACT (Turkey bacon, Lettuce, Arugula, Cheese, and Tomato). Enjoy!