The perfect summer sandwich – a blue cheese BLT! Marinated tomatoes with blue cheese dressing, shredded lettuce and crispy bacon served on toasted bread. Bright, crunchy and full of flavor.
Blue cheese takes the classic BLT to the next level.
If you love blue cheese, this sandwich will become a summer favorite. Tangy, creamy blue cheese dressing coats shredded lettuce, while marinated tomatoes and crisp bacon add bright acidity and crunch. Piled on toasted bread, it’s a satisfying lunch or light dinner.
One of my favorite BLTs is from Lake Street Market in Boyne City. Their version includes avocado and perfectly crisp bacon, but the shredded lettuce is what really elevates the sandwich. Shredded lettuce blends with the dressing and keeps every bite tidy and crunchy.
I like to take that idea further by making a homemade blue cheese dressing and letting some of it mix into the shredded lettuce. The result is creamy, tangy and full of texture — the lettuce clings to the dressing while staying crisp.
The combination is incredible: layers of texture and flavor with no floppy big leaves falling out. It’s simple, but the details make it special.
I always marinate the tomatoes. Even a short soak in olive oil, vinegar, garlic and herbs brightens the tomatoes and brings the whole sandwich together.
This is how I make it
Start by marinating the tomato slices. You can marinate them for a few minutes or a few hours — the longer they sit, the more flavor they soak up. While the tomatoes rest, cook the bacon until crispy and make the blue cheese dressing.
The dressing is simple: mix sour cream, milk, lemon juice, crumbled blue cheese and salt and pepper. Divide the dressing in half and toss the shredded lettuce into one portion so every shred is lightly coated and flavorful.
Toast your bread until golden. Spread the remaining blue cheese dressing on the toast, then pile on a generous amount of the dressed shredded lettuce. Add one or two marinated tomato slices — you can drizzle a bit of the tomato marinade on top for extra brightness — then top with crispy bacon and the other slice of toast.
The result is crunchy, creamy, savory and tangy — everything you want from a summer sandwich.
It’s a fantastic lunch: bright, rich and textural.
Blue Cheese BLTs
Blue Cheese BLTs
4 people
30 mins
2 hrs
2 hrs 30 mins
Ingredients
- 2 homegrown tomatoes, sliced
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 pound bacon, cooked until crispy
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces shredded lettuce
- Bread or toast, for serving
Instructions
- Slice the tomatoes and place them in a shallow dish. Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and Italian seasoning, then pour the mixture over the tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, flipping the slices occasionally while they marinate.
- Cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy and the fat is rendered. Drain on paper towels.
- In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, milk, crumbled blue cheese, lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until slightly chunky and creamy. Transfer half the dressing to a separate jar or bowl.
- Add the shredded lettuce to the remaining dressing and toss with tongs until well coated.
- Toast the bread. Spread some of the reserved blue cheese dressing on one slice, pile on the dressed shredded lettuce, top with marinated tomato slices (optionally drizzle a little of the marinade), add bacon, then finish with the other slice of toast. Serve immediately.
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Crave worthy.