Blts Extraordinaire Food

THE BEST BLTS

Steps:

• Mix basil, mayonnaise and butter in processor until basil is finely chopped and mixture is well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels; drain.
• Spread half of mayonnaise mixture over 1 side of 6 bread slices. Top each with 2 tomato slices. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and pepper. Top tomato slices with avocado, then with bacon strips, onion and lettuce. Spread remaining mayonnaise mixture over remaining 6 bread slices. Place bread slices atop lettuce. Cut sandwiches in half and serve.

BLT"S EXTRAORDINAIRE

Steps:

• Toast buns in oven till crispy.
• Spread roasted garlic over both insides of buns, then spread on the mayonnaise.
• Put on spinach leaves and lettuce leaves, four each per bun.
• Next add the tomato slices, salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle the feta cheese over tomatoes, top with the bacon.
• Close up the sandwich, press it down a little to keep everything in, cut in half, and enjoy.

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.