The Refreshing Dip That Uses Classic Sandwich Toppings

The BLT is one of the most perfect sandwiches imaginable (especially if you use the right kind of bacon). So much so, in fact, that it has inspired spin-offs such as our BLT salad and a limited-time Lay's potato chip flavor. While the BLT flavor has been in and out of the Lay's lineup over the years, there's an even better way to get that classic sandwich taste for your chips, and that's to make a bacon, lettuce, and tomato dip.

There are several ways you can go about concocting such a dip, depending on your textural preferences. One method involves cooking up an entire package of bacon, crumbling it, and then mixing it with chopped lettuce and tomatoes along with a tiny bit of mayonnaise as a binder. Some recipes, however, call for mixing bacon and tomatoes with a larger amount of mayonnaise and adding sour cream to make a much creamier dip. In such instances, lettuce is often relegated to a few shreds used as a garnish, but there's no reason a larger amount couldn't be stirred into the mixture.

One tip that will make this dip even better involves preparing the tomatoes. As they tend to be watery, chop them before you start frying the bacon, then let the pieces drain on paper towels. That way, the end result will be less liquidy.

A dip made flavored with nothing more than bacon, lettuce, and tomato will be pretty tasty all on its own, although you might want to toss in a pinch of pepper and maybe even some salt (depending on how salty the bacon is). Other seasonings such as garlic, onion powder, or cayenne can be added, while some cooks like to sprinkle in ranch dressing mix. (Swapping out the mayo and sour cream for bottled ranch dressing would also be an option.) You could even add a few more ingredients, such as sliced green onions or avocados. If you use enough of the latter and mash them up a bit, you could be well on your way to inventing BLT guacamole.

BLT dip isn't just for chips, but also goes great with pretzels, pita triangles, crackers, crudites, or toasted bread squares (with the last being an obvious nod to its origins). It could also be transformed into a filling for finger sandwiches or open-faced hors d'oeuvres made with cocktail rye bread. For this purpose, however, it's best to replace the mayonnaise with cream cheese to make a richer filling with a bit more structural integrity. And yes, it's kind of ironic turning a sandwich-flavored dip back into a sandwich, but such is the cyclical nature of food.