The BLT scarcely needs an introduction., yet the sandwich’s history is surprisingly unclear. The first written version of the recipe was seen in 1903, however the sandwich may have been made long before this. After all, it’s a pretty obvious combination of ingredients.
For BLT sides, really it’s a matter of preference. You can serve a wide variety of soups, salads, fried foods, baked or roasted dishes, and cold pasta salads with a BLT. Keep reading for more sides ideas and recipe links.
Despite murky origins, there’s little doubt about the popularity of BLTs. The sandwich is still found on menus worldwide and isn’t likely to go anywhere. Of course, there are now endless variations to the BLT, meaning you’re never short of options. Why not tweak your BLT and make it unique to you?
Still… the sandwich itself is only part of the story. We still need to think about what to serve with a BLT. After all, sides have a huge impact on your enjoyment of any dish. For a BLT, you’re often trying to contrast the saltiness of the bacon to give you a more balanced meal (although, there are certainly exceptions to that idea).
P.S. Many of the sides we’ve highlighted here will work well with other types of sandwiches too.
What To Serve With A BLT (14 Incredible Sides!)
Roasted Vegetables
BLTs aren’t all that vegetable heavy, so why not pair them with a healthy side like roasted vegetables? Doing so makes your meal much more nutritious and gives you a nice texture contrast as well.
This is also a versatile side, as many types of vegetables can be roasted. You can also experiment with herbs and spices or perhaps some type of dressing to improve the flavor profile.
Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts And Carrots
This Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts And Carrots recipe shows just how delicious roast vegetables can be. The maple syrup in this recipe provides a sweet flavor that’s a stunning contrast against the savory nature of the vegetables.
There’s an optional addition of fresh herbs or crushed red pepper that you can try. This contrasts the sweetness of the maple syrup and enhances the flavor of your brussels sprouts and carrots.
You can even use the same recipe for other types of vegetables – whatever your favorites are.
Homemade Potato Chips
Despite the saltiness of your bacon, some salty sides work well with a BLT, particularly potato chips. That’s not surprising though, given that chips are one of the classic sides for any type of sandwich.
Any type of potato chip will work well here, including the processed versions you buy in the grocery store. However, the best chips are homemade ones. Not only are these healthier, but they often have a better flavor as well.
You’re not limited to potatoes here either. You can make chips from many other types of vegetables, like sweet potatoes, beetroot, parsnip, carrot, and more. Beetroot chips are an entertaining option because of their deep red color. Not surprisingly, these have an earthy flavor, which is excellent when contrasted with your BLT.
Crispy Leaf Potatoes
These Crispy Leaf Potatoes are actually sliced potatoes rather than potato chips. However, they have a similar flavor and texture. The dish also looks stunning, making it a great one to serve to guests.
Once you get a hang of the dish, you can easily experiment with different flavoring ingredients, particularly herbs and spices. Garlic is a perfect addition here and will nicely complement your BLT.
Onion Rings
Onion rings are another classic side and have many features in common with potato chips. It’s even possible to include them in your sandwich itself, rather than having them as a side (you can do this with potato chips as well).
If onion rings seem too unhealthy, just avoid deep frying them. Onion rings are still delicious when baked in the oven or air fried. Sometimes they’re even better when cooked these ways.
Bacon Onion Rings With Bacon Ranch Dipping Sauce
These Bacon Onion Rings With Bacon Ranch Dipping Sauce are the perfect side for a BLT. How could they not be, given that there’s bacon in the onion rings themselves and in the ranch dressing?
You could even use some of this bacon ranch dipping sauce instead of mayo in your BLT, just to make things more exciting. The onion rings themselves are impressive too. They use a familiar ingredients list, but mix bacon pieces directly into the onion ring batter.
Soup
Now we get to soup, which is another classic sandwich side. Creamy and low salt soups work best here, as they perfectly contrast the flavors and textures of your sandwiches.
Why not begin with tomato soup, as you already have tomatoes in your sandwich itself? You could also experiment with potato leek soup, broccoli cheese soup, or even a veggie laden soup. There’s no right or wrong answer. It all boils down to the type of soup you like the best.
Baked Potato Soup
If you want something unusual, give this Baked Potato Soup a try. It’s a thick and creamy soup that relies on potatoes, sour cream, bacon, chives, and cheddar cheese. That combination tastes truly remarkable and makes for a comforting soup.
The inclusion of bacon works well with your BLT. You’re doubling down on the best flavors and giving yourself a filling meal.
Fries
Fries aren’t a classic sandwich side, but they should be. After all, they’re crunchy, salty, and simply delicious. The combo is even better if you’re using grilled bread to make your BLT. This way you get crunch from the sandwich and from the fries.
While you’re at it, why not have a beer along with your BLT? The beer rounds everything out perfectly and stops the meal from seeming too salty.
You can also experiment with the type of fries, like making sweet potato fries or zucchini fries. These alternatives are often healthier and may taste better than regular fries as well.
Truffle Fries
These Truffle Fries show how you can make your fries much more enjoyable. They’re simply regular fries that have been tossed in parmesan cheese and truffle oil. The addition of cheese and truffle oil amps the flavor of the fries, making them much more enjoyable.
The recipe also provides information for making delicious aioli to complement the fries. Because aioli has a fairly mild flavor, it’s not likely to overpower the truffle oil on your fries. You could even use some of the same aioli as part of your BLT.
A Delicious Pasta Salad
Pasta salads are classic sides that go well with many different meals, including sandwiches. Part of the appeal is that you can make them in countless ways. This allows you to tailor the flavor of your salad to whatever you’re serving it with.
Of course, the best pasta salad is the one that matches your own preferences. For some people, this might involve including fresh mozzarella, basil, and sun dried tomatoes, while others might focus on a creamy sauce and plenty of meat.
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Your BLT features bacon, so why not pair it with something like this Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad? This recipe relies heavily on a creamy sauce that features ranch mix, sour cream, and mayo. The sauce is complemented by chopped bacon, tomato, cheese, and olives.
Some commenters mentioned taking the recipe further by adding chopped chicken, which makes the salad more filling. Doing so mightn’t be necessary if you’re also serving a BLT, but perhaps you need the extra protein.
Jalapeño Poppers
Jalapeño poppers can be quite fun as well. These little sides are made using hollowed out jalapenos that have then been stuffed, often with cream cheese. The cream cheese helps to offset the spiciness of the peppers and has a beautiful texture after the jalapeños have been baked.
The poppers can be made even more exciting by wrapping them in bacon or by sprinkling panko bread crumbs and cheese on them before baking. There are other variations too, such as including herbs or spices as part of the filling.
Jalapeño Popper Bites
These Jalapeño Popper Bites are a great variation on the jalapeño popper idea. They include most of the same ingredients and flavors, but do so in a very different format.
With this recipe, you get deep fried bites of cream cheese with bacon, jalapeños, and plenty of flavor. The bites can be made in the air fryer too, which makes them healthier without compromising their flavor.
Potato Salad
Potato salad is another classic, particularly for parties and picnics. The classic ingredients include potatoes, mayo, vinegar, and seasonings, but that’s just one version.
The recipe gets changed up time and time again, often with new and exciting ingredients to make it more engaging. For example, one version includes soft boiled eggs and asparagus, while another adds pesto to liven up the dressing.
You can experiment with the type of potato too, as some varieties are softer or have a different flavor than others. Or, why not use sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes? Doing so makes the salad look even more vibrant.
Ultimate Potato Salad
This Ultimate Potato Salad includes a selection of unexpected ingredients for flavor, including pickles, celery, onions, and bacon. There’s even bacon in the dressing, making the salad more flavorful still.
It’s not just the ingredients that make this recipe special. There are also important details about how to get the right texture in your potato salad and how to prevent it from being too wet. Those tips are relevant for any type of potato salad, so they’re worth reading.
Croquettes
Croquettes truly are a delicious treat, especially when they include cheese or bacon as ingredients. Plus, they’re a type of finger food. That feature is great with sandwiches, as you’re not always sitting down to have a formal dinner.
Why not experiment with the different styles and fillings for croquettes? Potential ingredients include cod, salmon, mozzarella, bacon, leek, mushrooms, sausages, and many more (just not all at the same time!).
Baked Potato Cheesy Croquettes
These Baked Potato Cheesy Croquettes couldn’t be more perfect as a BLT side. They’re simple too, as the filling just relies on mashed potato and cheddar cheese. The basic filling allows the flavors of your BLT to stand out. Besides, who doesn’t love a cheesy side?
On a side note, these croquettes are oven-based rather than deep fried. This style makes them much less greasy without taking away from the flavor.
A Zoodle Salad
Zoodles are most famous as a low carb pasta alternative, but that’s not their only claim to fame. Noodles made from zucchini are also light, refreshing, and healthy – all uncommon features for pasta sides.
You can easily experiment with this dish. Some recipes keep things simple and just rely on garlic, parmesan, olive oil, and zoodles. Others create more complex versions using ingredients like red onions, cherry tomatoes, and basil pesto.
Some recipes even combine multiple types of spiralized ingredients, like squash, beets, carrots, and turnips. Simple zoodle salads are great with BLTs, as the flavor of your sandwich isn’t overpowered. Still, more complex recipes have their place as well.
Mediterranean Zucchini Pasta Salad
Speaking of zoodle variations, what about this Mediterranean Zucchini Pasta Salad? The recipe includes red onions, artichoke hearts, chickpeas, spinach, cherry tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese, plus the zoodles themselves.
That combination of ingredients creates an exciting salad with plenty of different textures and flavors. Plus, if you leave out the feta cheese, it ends up being a vegan-friendly dish.
Egg Salad
Egg salad deserves a place on this list too, as it really is a classic. It’s simpler than most salads too, as you can make it with just eggs, mayo, and a touch of salt.
That said, egg salad can easily be varied to make it more exciting. Mustard is a popular addition, as is dill and red onion. Some recipes even use Greek yogurt instead of mayo to tweak the texture and flavor of the dish.
Bacon Ranch Egg Salad
This Bacon Ranch Egg Salad proves that bacon is the ideal addition to an egg salad. It adds salty deliciousness to the dish, while nicely complementing the bacon in your BLT.
The recipe also relies on cheddar cheese, green onions, mayo, and dry ranch mix. That ranch mix changes the flavor of the egg salad, making it even more interesting than normal.
Macaroni And Cheese
Why stick with serving mac and cheese on its own when it also makes for a stunning side dish? After all, mac and cheese is always creamy and comforting – and you can even make it in single serving ramekins.
Don’t forget the crispy topping either. While this isn’t essential, it makes any mac and cheese recipe taste a thousand times better.
Butternut Squash Mac And Cheese
Classic variations to mac and cheese often include bacon, flavorful cheese, or perhaps some mustard. This Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is unusual in that it relies on butternut squash instead.
Including butternut squash is actually a genius move, as the vegetable helps with the creaminess of your sauce and decreases the reliance on high fat ingredients. The squash also provides an interesting color, slight sweetness, and plenty of nutrients.
There are some interesting ingredients for flavor as well, including Worcestershire sauce, nutmeg, thyme, and vegetable broth. These add extra depth to the recipe and make it even more exciting.
Bacon
According to Reddit members, the most desirable side for a BLT is simply more bacon. Makes sense, right? I mean, if you love bacon, there’s probably not enough bacon in your BLT on its own.
To really take advantage of the idea, why not join a bacon of the month club? There’s a surprising number of these and they really do ship bacon out to you every single month. Many focus on high quality bacon that tastes amazing and is low in additives. Such bacon is ideal for a BLT.
Twisted Bacon
Twisted Bacon gets its fame from TikTok, but is also an interesting idea in its own right. Twisting the bacon traps some bacon grease as the meat cooks, making the bacon tender and juicy when you bite into it.
The bacon takes a surprisingly long time to cook in the oven – around 40 minutes! Still, the final product is certainly worth it. You can also cut down the cooking time by using an air fryer instead of the oven.
Quinoa Salad
Once obscure, quinoa has become a well-known superfood, one that is healthier and offers more protein than most actual grains. It can be used in plenty of ways too, such as making quinoa salads.
Quinoa works surprisingly well in salads, partly because it has a mild nutty flavor and a touch of chewiness. Besides, lettuce-based salads, pasta salad, and potato salad all get a bit boring after a while. Why not mix things up?
Kale Cranberry Quinoa Salad
This Kale Cranberry Quinoa Salad is a great place to begin with quinoa. The combination of quinoa and kale means you’re getting a ton of nutrients, while the cranberries provide a burst of flavor.
There’s also a tasty dressing that brings the whole meal up a notch. This includes dijon mustard, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and even maple syrup.
How To Make Your BLT More Exciting
BLTs always have the same three core components, but this doesn’t mean they’re all the same. There are plenty of things you can change – tweaks that can make your sandwich taste so much better.
Make Your Own Mayo
Instead of using mayonnaise from the grocery store, why not make your own? Homemade mayo tends to be much tastier and you can even add extra flavors.
For example, you might use smoked paprika as an ingredient or perhaps mix in some chili flakes. There are even recipes for bacon mayo. These allow you to double down on the bacon flavor in your sandwich.
You don’t even need to use mayo if you don’t want to. Many sauces will work well in a BLT too, such as ranch dressing or aioli.
Use Delicious Bread
Then there’s the bread. This makes a huge difference to your finished sandwich, so be sure to choose something tasty – ideally homemade. Sourdough is a fantastic choice here. You could even experiment with flavored sourdough.
Focus On The Tomatoes
Some BLT lovers say that the sandwich is all about the tomatoes, with the bacon simply adding extra flavor. You can easily lean into this by focusing on delicious fresh tomatoes, ideally ones that have been freshly picked.
You could also experiment with heirloom tomatoes or other unusual varieties. These can be more flavorful and make your sandwich even more exciting.
Also, don’t forget to salt your tomatoes. This one approach can make a surprising difference to the flavor of your sandwiches.
Add Other Ingredients
Finally, you can expand your BLT even further. The most famous version is a BLAT, which adds avocado. There’s also an egg BLT, which simply includes an egg in the mix. The egg makes this a more breakfast themed sandwich, while also increasing the protein content.
You could also add any regular sandwich ingredients, like peppers, pickles, cheese, cucumbers, or smoked salmon. There’s no end of possible combinations and ratios to experiment with.
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