Blt Beef Leek And Tomato Salad With Bacon Dressing An Extra B Food

TOMATO-LEEK-BACON TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Coat a 9-inch tart pan with cooking spray. Fit piecrust into pan according to package directions.
• Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove crust from oven; sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese blend.
• Lower the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Saute leeks in hot oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until tender; sprinkle over crust. Arrange tomatoes over leeks; sprinkle with basil and garlic.
• Stir together remaining 1 cup cheese blend, chopped bacon, and next 4 ingredients in a bowl. Spoon cheese mixture over tart, spreading to edges.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Cut tart into 4 slices. Garnish, with basil sprigs, if desired.

BLT

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Arrange the cooked bacon, lettuce, and tomato slices on one slice of bread. Spread one side of remaining bread slice with the mayonnaise. Bring the two pieces together to make a sandwich.

EXTRA-CRISPY BLT

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil, including up the sides. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on the lined sheet pan, overlapping pieces slightly, if necessary, to fit them all on the pan. Transfer to the oven and cook, without flipping, until deep golden brown and curling in spots, 15 to 25 minutes. (You can put the bacon in as the oven heats up; it will help the fat render.) Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. (You can fold and curl the pieces onto the plate; this will add more texture to the final sandwich.)
• Meanwhile, season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Cut four 1/4-inch-thick slabs of the iceberg lettuce crosswise. (Make a wedge salad with the rest.) Toast the bread in the toaster or directly on an empty rack in the oven, flipping halfway through.
• Spread one side of the toasted bread with mayonnaise and/or mustard. Add 2 slices of tomato to half the bread slices. Top with one slab of lettuce, then add the bacon. It will be tricky to lay the bacon flat, and that's good. Arrange them irregularly, so there are pockets of air between the slices.
• Top with the remaining slices of bread. Press down slightly, cut in half and eat right away.

BLT SALAD

Steps:

• Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat, turning frequently, until evenly browned. Drain, crumble and set aside.
• In a blender or food processor, combine mayonnaise, milk, garlic powder and black pepper. Blend until smooth. Season the dressing with salt.
• Combine lettuce, tomatoes, bacon and croutons in a large salad bowl. Toss with dressing, and serve immediately.