Chef, author, and Food Network star Ina Garten is no stranger to providing life-changing food hacks. Whether it’s tips for precise bakes or crafting the perfect party-ready cocktail, Garten’s helpful hints on how to make a better dish always prove to be extremely helpful. And as a chef who makes her own sandwiches and never eats at fast food restaurants (with her only exception being the California-based In-N-Out chain), it seems that Garten should be the one to listen to when it comes to improving outdated sandwiches. That’s why when Ina Garten says to add avocado to your BLT, you should do it!
The average BLT sandwich is exactly that: bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiched in between two pieces of toasted bread (often slathered with mayonnaise, as well). However, Garten’s California BLT includes slices of avocado that have been tossed with lemon juice. This delicious concoction gives the usual drab, overdone BLT a fresh new punch that it was lacking in its original ingredients.
Other ingredients to improve a BLT sandwich
While the quality of its titular ingredients are by far the most important factors of a great BLT sandwich, there are plenty more additions anyone can make to this average recipe to make it incredible. The bacon’s umami, meaty flavor can be enhanced by the four other types of taste (sweet, salty, sour, and bitter) by adding unique ingredients. Although the exact taste of an avocado is still debated, many consider it to also be under the umami category. Garten avoids this one-note taste throughout the sandwich by adding sour lemon juice, providing a kick not found in the average BLT.
As for other flavors, online chefs state that fried eggs, gochujang, and even jalapeños can make for a delicious BLT. However, many also argue that a BLT with additional ingredients isn’t a BLT at all, but simply a bacon sandwich. Regardless of your opinion, perhaps Ina Garten’s delicious California BLT will enhance your lunch (even if it’s just a sandwich to you).
