Table of Contents
Make a simple BLT even better by serving it on a bagel! This BLT bagel for one is easy, ready in about 15 minutes, and packed with flavor and textures. Layer perfectly cooked bacon, a thick slice of tomato, tender lettuce on a bagel.
[This BLT bagel recipe was originally posted in August 2020. It has been updated with cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]
If you bought bagels and have a couple left, but are tired of plain bagels & cream cheese, turn your bagel into a BLT bagel. It takes just about 15 minutes to make, is super easy, and well, it has bacon on it. Not much easier than this.
This makes for a tasty lunch for one, or breakfast or dinner. You really can’t go wrong. Stick with this simple sandwich (with cream cheese instead of mayo!) or add additional toppings (see in substitutions section). The sky is the limit!
Ingredients
Scroll down to the BLT bagel recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here’s a quick visual + description of what’s in this recipe.
- Bagel: Use your favorite savory bagel. I like everything bagels, plain, onion, and cheddar jalapeno bagels for a BLT bagel. Enjoy at room temperature or toast.
- Bacon: Cook your bacon to preference. I recommend slicing it in half before adding to your bagel. It’ll cover the bagel better.
- Lettuce: Red leaf, green leaf lettuce, romaine, ice berg-any of these would work on this sandwich.
- Tomato: Tomatoes really are best when bought in season, choose the best looking tomato for a tasty, beefy tomato slice. Look for deeper color tomatoes, heavier ones, and soft-firm flesh.
- Cream Cheese: Why not swap traditional mayo for cream cheese on this bagel?! Or stick with traditional mayo. I like this sandwich with leftover cream cheese/bagels.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here’s a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.
1. Start to make your BLT bagel by cooking the bacon-lay out 3 slices on a large sautee pan. Cook until desired doneness. Remove bacon and place on a plate with a paper towel to soak up excess grease. Set aside.
2. While bacon is cooking, slice tomato into about ¼ thick slices, wash lettuce and set aside. Slice your bagel in half and toast to preference. Smear cream cheese on one or both bagel slices.
3. Using bagel as your guide, break apart cooked bacon slices into slices to fit on bagel. Layer slices on top of cream cheese.
4. Fold lettuce over in half to better fit on bagel, or cut it in half down the middle. Top bacon with lettuce. Then place tomato on top of lettuce. Eat immediately.
Serve your BLT Bagel by itself, with a green salad, chips, or fresh fruit.
Storage/Reheating Tips
A BLT bagel is best made right before eating. You could pre slice the bagel, and lettuce store each in individual airtight bags or containers. For best results, slice the tomato and cook bacon right before serving.
It’s not recommend to reheat this sandwich as the tomato will change texture and get juice on the bagel and bacon which isn’t ideal.
You could slice and freeze bagels and toast when you’re ready to eat them. You can also freeze bacon, see how to freeze bacon from One Dish Kitchen.
Substitutions/Tips
- Cook eggs, pancakes, chard/beet greens, or other veggies in leftover bacon grease.
- Use romaine, iceberg, green leaf, or red leaf lettuce in your BLT bagel recipe.
- I usually buy Neufchatel cheese instead of regular cream cheese. It has less fat than regular, and tastes exactly the same to me. It may also be marketed as ⅓ fat cream cheese. But use what you like/have access to
- Everything, onion, plain, and cheese bagels are great for BLT Bagels.
- Other Great Add-Ins: precooked chicken, turkey (breast or deli), avocado, mayonnaise, hot sauce, sprouts, American cheese, other vegetables, etc.
FAQ
Some say iceberg lettuce is the only good lettuce for a BLT which I get because it’s super crunchy and crispy! While iceberg is great, so is romaine lettuce and red leaf lettuce. Honestly, use what you have on hand.
Toasting your bagel or bread to make a BLT really is the best. It helps your bread/bagel not get soggy from the lettuce and tomato. Plus it adds a great crunch.
A BLT usually has mayonnaise on it, this BLT bagel sandwich has cream cheese on it as another condiment option. Avocado, hot sauce, etc would be good condiment additions too.
Other good sandwich recipes
What to do with leftover ingredients
When you’re cooking for one, you often have leftover produce, cans of whatever ingredient, etc. Here are a couple ideas on how to use up the leftover ingredients. It’ll help you save money by wasting fewer ingredients.
Did you make this BLT Bagel? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!
Print
Pin
BLT Bagel
Need to use up cream cheese and bagels? This super easy BLT bagel is bursting with flavor and texture. It’s the perfect sandwich any time of the day.
Equipment
-
Toaster
-
knife
-
cutting board
-
Large sautee pan
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon
- 1-2 thick slices tomato
- 1-2 leaves lettuce romaine or red leaf
- 1 oz cream cheese
- 1 bagel everything, onion, plain, or cheese bagels are best
Instructions
-
Cook bacon by laying out 3 slices on a large sautee pan. Cook until bacon shrinks in size and looks darker in color, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip over and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until it reaches your desired crispiness.
-
Remove bacon and place on a plate with a paper towel to soak up excess grease. Set aside
-
While bacon is cooking, slice 1-2 slices of tomato into about ¼ thick slices, wash 1-2 leaves of lettuce and set aside.
-
Slice bagel in half and toast to your preference.
-
Smear about 1 ounce of cream cheese on one or both bagel slices. Using bagel as a guide, break apart bacon slices to fit on bagel. Layer bacon on bottom side of the bagel.
-
Fold lettuce over in half to better fit on bagel, or cut it in half down the middle. Top bacon with lettuce. Then place 1-2 slices of tomato on top of lettuce. Slice bagel down center and eat immediately.
-
Serve with green salad or fresh fruit if desired.
Notes
- Cook eggs, pancakes, chard/beet greens, or other veggies in your bacon grease.
- Use romaine, iceberg, green leaf, or red leaf lettuce in this recipe.
- I usually buy Neufchatel cheese instead of regular cream cheese. It has less fat than regular, and tastes just the same to me. It may also be marketed as ⅓ fat cream cheese.
- Everything, onion, plain, and cheese bagels are great in this recipe.
- Optional add-ins: precooked chicken or turkey (breast or deli), avocado, hot sauce, American cheese, sprouts, additional vegetables, egg.
More Stories
United Healthcare’s ransomware attack shows why supply chains are under siege
Nutrition Tips For Ramadan | JM Nutrition
Probiotics for IBS | The Nutritionist Reviews