BLT Egg Salad Recipe

We have two favourite sandwiches in this house. The BLT (Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato), and Egg Salad. This fabulous recipe I am sharing with you today combines both of those loves into a wonderfully tasty salad that is sure to become a new favourite with everyone. BLT Egg Salad combines the best of both of those favourites into a creamy delicious dish that is equally at home sitting atop a bed of crisp lettuce or layered between two slices of buttered bread!

It’s true!! You CAN have your cake and eat it too!

I am the salad lover in our home and so I am the one who enjoys this delightful combination on its own, whereas my husband is a sandwich lover and he prefers to enjoy it that way.

This wonderful salad combines all the creamy deliciousness of an old school egg salad with the crunch and moreishness of your basic BLT with salty bacon, crisp lettuce, and sweet tomatoes. You might be tempted to think this will not work, but I can promise you that it absolutely does!

And beautifully! There is something here to please everyone! This is perfect for a weekday lunch at home, work, or school, or even an impromptu picnic in the back yard.

WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE BLT EGG SALAD

There is nothing much out of the ordinary in this tasty salad. Once again, simple ingredients, put together simply and in a most delicious way!

INGREDIENTS

Hard Boiled Eggs

Crisp Bacon

Shredded Lettuce

Grape tomatoes

A good quality full fat mayonnaise

Fresh lemon juice

Onion powder

Salt and black pepper to taste

HINTS AND TIPS FOR COOKING AND PEELING EGGS PERFECTLY

One thing which people can really struggle with is boiling and peeling eggs. Here are my sure fire tips to make both of those things relatively easy!

1. Place the eggs in a single layer at the bottom of a saucepan. Cover with cold water so that they are completely submerged and covered by a least an inch of water. For 6 eggs, plan on at least an inch, but for 7 to 12, you will need two inches.
2. Add a teaspoon of vinegar to the water to help prevent any egg from leaking out from the egg if it should crack. I also add some salt which is said to make them easier to peel. ½ teaspoon will do the trick.
3. Bring the pot to a full, rolling boil over high heat. Turn off the heat. Cover the saucepan with a lid and leave it sitting on the heat of the burner for 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Drain the eggs and roll them around in the pan to crack the shells a bit. Place under cold running water to cool the eggs off and prevent them from cooking further. Leave to sit in cold water until completely cold.
5. Older eggs peel much easier than newer eggs. I always use eggs which are at least one week old and preferably two weeks old. Older eggs have a higher pH than fresh eggs, which makes them less sticky. This is tried and proven for me. I never have a problem peeling week old eggs.
6. Gently roll the hard-boiled egg on a cutting board or other hard surfaces beneath the palm of your hand. This will create cracks all over the egg and loosen the shell. Don’t press down too hard.
7. I like to slip the tip of a teaspoon in between the shell and the hardboiled egg. This usually helps the shell to slip off easily.
8. I also like to peel them submerged in cold water. I am not sure why this works, but it does in most cases. It also helps to wash any shell away from the egg.

HINTS AND TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST BLT EGG SALAD

1. I like to use a wire pastry blender to chop my eggs. This does a great job of it. We are not fond of overly large pieces of egg in our egg salad, but neither do we want the egg to be totally mashed. Using a pastry blender gives perfect results.
2. Crisply cooked bacon works best in this. Chop/crumble your crisp bacon using a sharp pair of kitchen scissors. I cut the bacon first into short cuts and then put it into a plastic tumbler. I then cut down into the tumbler with the scissors, which renders the perfect size of bacon bits.
3. Make sure you remove and drain all the seeds and liquid from your tomatoes. Leaving them in will create a salad which has too loose a consistency.
4. Shred your lettuce and try to use the darker green leaves. These stand up best in the dressing and are much more colorful.
5. Use a good quality mayonnaise. Don’t be tempted to use low-fat mayonnaise in this. It will not give you the best taste or end result.

HOW TO MAKE BLT EGG SALAD

SUGGESTIONS FOR SERVING

When we are having this as a sandwich filling our preferred bread is a soft white bread, which has been lightly buttered with softened butter. You could also use soft whole wheat bread. It also goes very well stuffed into soft rolls or freshly baked croissants.

As a salad, I like to peel off a few crisp outer leaves from washed and dried lettuce and place them onto a plate, making a small cup to hold the salad.

You can also use this to stuff whole large ripe tomatoes. Remove the core of the tomato and then cut down from the top into about 6 wedges, leaving the tomato joined together at the base. Remove most of the seeds, season with a bit of salt, and leave to drain over some paper toweling for a few minutes. Place the tomatoes onto chilled plates pulling them open and filling the insides with the salad. This makes for a very pretty and edible presentation which is perfect for luncheons!

This egg salad will keep for two to three days, properly covered, and stored in the refrigerator. I do not recommend keeping it for any longer than that. It also does not freeze, so make sure you prepare it when you know it is going to be all gobbled up!

One thing is for certain, leftovers not going to be a problem with this delicious combination! Rich and creamy with plenty of bold textures and flavours this is sure to become a firm favourite with the family!