April is BLT Month! To celebrate, I’ve partnered with duBreton®, the all-Canadian farming trailblazer and North America’s number one producer of Certified Humane Raised and Handled® pork, to transform the classic BLT sandwich into a delicious elevated masterpiece!
When lunch or dinner hits and I have nothing planned or prepared the meal options are endless as long as we have bacon, lettuce and tomatoes in our refrigerator! The classic BLT is our favourite, of course. Who could resist a sandwich piled high with delicious crispy bacon, fresh lettuce and finished with a juicy tomato and mayonnaise? My favourite bacon to stock in my refrigerator is duBreton® Organic smoked bacon. Any food expert will tell you that using high-quality bacon is key to create the perfect BLT sandwich. All duBreton® bacon is Certified Humane® and is available in Smoked or Black Forest Smoked with no added nitrites or nitrates, so you can feel good about feeding it to your family. It’s also ridiculously delicious – the way bacon should taste!
I was inspired by Canada’s 150th Birthday to think outside of the sandwich for this recipe and incorporated popular Canadian flavours: maple syrup and apples in my BLT Panzanella Lettuce Cups. Fresh, crispy leaves of Boston lettuce filled with perfectly cooked strips of bacon, juicy Heirloom tomatoes, homemade croutons and bright and delicious apple and beet slaw – these lettuce cups are truly Canadian and truly delicious!
Think you have the #BestBLT recipe? From April 10 to 30, duBreton® is challenging you to get creative and submit your unique BLT recipe to BestBLT.com. To enter, participants must submit a BLT recipe and photo. The recipe must, at minimum, contain bacon, lettuce, and tomato ingredients. All other ingredients are at the discretion of the participant, but must be readily available at major grocery stores.
Then, from May 1 to 10, everyone is invited to visit BestBLT.com and vote to for their favourite recipe. Two finalists will win the ultimate bacon lover’s prize – a trip for two to Quebec Bacon Fest. Two (2) finalists will receive a two (2) night stay for two (2) persons on June 2 and 3, 2017 at Hôtel Sainte-Anne located in Québec City, QC, $500 spending money and two (2) VIP tickets to Bacon Fest. The prize is valued at $1,200 CDN. In addition, any finalist residing more than 450 km of the Expo-Cité located in Québec City, QCO will receive a round trip flight for two (2) persons to Quebec City, paid for by Les Viandes du Breton Inc. There, the finalists’ BLT creations will be showcased and sampled by some of the biggest bacon fans in the world. At Bacon Fest, duBreton® will crown Canada’s Best BLT Champion! (*There is no purchase necessary. The contest is open to residents of Ontario and Québec.)
Check out this video for a little inspo: BLT 2.0. So now, what are you waiting for? Get creating!
Here is how I get perfect bacon, in under 20 minutes, every single time:
- Set oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Lay bacon strips in a row on a parchment-lined baking sheet (making sure none of the strips are touching each other.)
- Put the tray into the oven, on the middle rack and bake for 10 minutes, then turn the bacon to the uncooked side and bake for another 5-7 minutes or preferred level of doneness
- Using tongs, lay the strips of bacon on a paper towel-lined plate. Keep warm and set aside.
- Now you’ve got the perfect bacon to use for your BLT creation!
This recipe below is essentially 4 components – and I made the recipe this way so that you could interchange the ingredients and create them as a salad or pair them with other dishes.
I can’t wait to see your #BestBLT ideas so be sure to enter the contest before April 30, 2017. Follow duBreton® on Facebook , Instagram or Twitter for all the latest updates on the #BestBLT contest.
With Love,
Julie
BLT Panzanella Lettuce Cups
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Fresh, crispy leaves of Boston lettuce filled with perfectly cooked strips of bacon, juicy Heirloom tomatoes, homemade croutons and bright and delicious apple and beet slaw – these lettuce cups are truly Canadian and truly delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 head Boston lettuce leaf
- 9 strips of cooked duBreton® Organic smoked bacon (halved)
- 1 cup Heirloom tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup garlic Croutons
- 2 cups Apple & Beet Slaw
- 1 cup Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
Bacon - 1 pack (250g) duBreton® Organic Smoked Bacon
Slaw (2 Cups) - 1 Apple, large crisp
- 1 large Beet
- Fresh lemon juice
Croutons (1 Cup) - 2 cups thick sliced bread, cubed (about 5 slices – use bread of choice)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
Maple Dijon dressing (1 Cup) - 4 T Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 T real maple syrup
- 4 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the Bacon: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lay bacon strips in a row on a parchment-lined baking sheet (making sure none of the strips are touching each other.)
- Put the tray into the oven, on the middle rack and bake for 10 minutes, then turn the bacon to the uncooked side and bake for another 5 minutes or until desired doneness.
- Using tongs, lay the strips of bacon on a paper towel-lined plate. Keep warm and set aside.
- Make the Slaw: Peel your apple and discard the peel. Using a mandolin with a ⅛ blade shred the apple and place in a bowl. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the apples so they don’t brown. Set aside while you cut the beets.
- Peel the beet and cut with the mandolin then rinse them under cold running water 3-4 times. This will help them to not bleed their colour through the slaw.
- Combine with the shredded apple and set aside in the refrigerator.
- Make the Croutons: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix and massage the bread pieces with the oil mixture until they are evenly coated.
- Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 7 minutes. Use a spoon to gently turn the croutons and then bake for another 5 minutes or until bread is golden brown.
- Put in a bowl and set aside.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
- Make the Dressing: Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together, or in a bottle or jar with a lid and shake vigorously until thoroughly combined. (Makes 1 cup of vinaigrette).
- Assembly: Wash and separate lettuce leaves and gently pat dry using a paper towel and set them out on a plate.
- In each lettuce wrap layer 2 half slices of bacon, chopped tomatoes, croutons and then top with the apple and beet slaw.
- Drizzle with the maple Dijon vinaigrette just before serving.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
*This recipe and post was created in partnership with duBreton® and I have been compensated. However, and as always, all opinions are my own (and, I am obsessed with bacon!)
