Football Friday Tailgate Treats: BLT Season

Happy Football Friday. This week we are tackling all things BLT.  Who doesn’t love a great BLT?  I have found a variety of BLT recipes that are all a nod to the classic BLT.  Before we get to all things BLTs did you save last week’s Tailgate Treats “Super Easy Sliders“?  In reality, college football season is way too short and tailgating is a must-do during the season.  It is a good excuse to try new recipes and incorporate classic favorites into new and exciting recipes.  This week we are exploring all the BLT recipes for some tasty tailgate treats.  Enjoy!

Football Friday Tailgate Treats: BLT Season

The Ultimate Breakfast BLT

Ingredients:

This is for two sandwiches adjust quantities as needed for your group.

• 2 English Muffins, toasted
• 2 fresh Roma tomatoes cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 2 leaves of fresh romaine  lettuce
• 2-4 slices of bacon cooked as preferred
• 1 avocado
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of real mayo
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
•  large leaves fresh basil
•  1 tablespoon olive oil
• pinch of salt

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Place tomato slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. Sprinkle tomatoes with a pinch of salt and basil. Drizzle with olive oil.
3. Bake tomatoes for 45 minutes. Once finished, set aside. (Note: roasting the tomatoes is optional, but DELICIOUS! If you have time, it’s worth it!)
4. While tomatoes are roasting, make your fried egg. You can cook the egg however you like best; I chose sunny side up. Set aside.
5. Combine sliced avocado, mayo, and garlic in a blender. Blend until well combined. If too thick, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.
6. To assemble the sandwich, spread avocado mayo on the inside of each half of your toasted English muffin. Top the bottom half with 1 piece of lettuce, 2 slices of bacon, 3 slices of roasted tomatoes, 1 fried egg, and the top of the English muffin.
7. Repeat with the additional English muffins.

This recipe is keyed for an at-home tailgate.  They could also be pre-assembled and warmed in tinfoil over a grill at an on-site tailgate party.

Baked BLT Dip Recipe

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound bacon
• 2 pints of cherry tomatoes
• 1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese softened
• 6 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped and mashed to a paste
• 1 romaine lettuce heart, shredded
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Crostini or toast points

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and fit with a wire rack. Arrange bacon slices in an even layer on the rack, and bake in preheated oven until crisp, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool bacon, reserving 1 tablespoon of bacon grease; chop bacon, and set aside.

2. Toss tomatoes with reserved bacon grease. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake at 400°F oven until tomatoes burst, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

3. Combine cream cheese, Cheddar, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, 1 cup of chopped bacon, and 1 cup of tomatoes in a large bowl; transfer to a 2-quart baking dish. Bake at 350°F until hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Top with lettuce, remaining tomatoes, and remaining chopped bacon; drizzle with lemon juice.

5. Serve with crostini or toast points.

BLT Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 package of bacon – at least 12 ounces
• 1 16-oz. box fusilli or curly pasta
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 1-oz. packet ranch seasoning mix
• Juice of one lemon
• 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1-pint grape tomatoes halved
• 2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as dill and/or parsley

BLT Wraps 

Ingredients: adjust quantities as needed for your group. 

• 4 slices of bacon cooked
• 2 large flour tortillas
•  6 slices tomato
•  1 cup Shredded romaine lettuce
• 4 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 4 Tbsp ranch dressing

Make ahead: You can prep the ingredients and cook the bacon ahead of time to make assembling this wrap faster and easier. Or you can make them a day ahead and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve at your tailgate.

How to Make a BLT Wrap

• Combine dressings. Mix the mayonnaise and ranch together.
• Spread evenly. Using a spoon or spatula, spread this mixture onto both tortillas.
• Assemble the BLT. Layer the cooked bacon, tomato slices, and lettuce in the middle of the tortilla.
• Roll your BLT up. Roll the wrap tightly, and then serve it cold or at room temperature.

Ingredient Notes:

• Bacon– Make sure it’s well cooked and crispy.
• Vegan Bacon – in fact, there are several varieties of vegan bacon if you would like to go that route.
• Flour tortillas– Be sure to use the burritos-sized ones for easier wrapping.
• Make it low-carb and keto-friendly- All you’ll need to do is substitute the tortilla for a lettuce wrap. Look for large leaves that are flexible enough to roll.
• Tomatoes– You can use anything from sliced Roma tomatoes to tiny cherry tomatoes.
• Shredded iceberg lettuce– Whole leaves will work here, too
• Mayonnaise– You can even omit this and use only ranch.
• Ranch dressing– This adds some tangy flavor outside the traditional mayonnaise-based BLT.

Add-ins and Substitutions:

• Add vegetables- Try this BLT wrap with some avocado for a more creamy texture and extra healthy fats and fiber. Or you can add crisp, fresh sprouts or onions.
• Substitute other meats- Instead of bacon (or in addition to), you can use ham or turkey.
• Add more protein- You can make this with egg or hummus to make it more filling and double the protein.
• Use Sriracha– Add a little kick of spiciness to your BLT Wrap with a few drops of Sriracha either in the wrap or mixed into the dressing.

On The Menu

I hope those BLT season recipes will ultimately, make your tailgate tastier.  Next week we will tackle more football Friday tasty treats to kick your tailgate to the next level. Enjoy your weekend of games.  Let us know which recipe was your favorite.