This glorious stacked sammie is toasted and piled high with smoky bacon, crisp lettuce, and creamy pimento cheese for the ultimate BLT pimento cheese sandwich experience!
I’ve outdone myself today.
In sandwich form.
On a mission to recreate one of my favorite indulgences from a local lunch spot, these Pimento Cheese BLT sandwiches made their way out of my kitchen and into my face. The happy dance that ensued was epic.
I used my zesty jalapeño pimento cheese recipe in place of traditional pimento cheese, which I’ll include below with the sandwich, but feel free to use your family’s favorite recipe or even store bought pimento cheese if you already have that on hand.
Though promise me you’ll try my spicy pimento cheese at some point! The fiery jalapeños mixed with the ripe tomato and smoky bacon make a scrumptious combo and you can make it as mild or as spicy as you’d like.
When it comes to BLTs I’m typically a purist. Don’t you dare try to BLAT me with sliced avocado or even so much as think of slapping some hippie hemp seed mayo on my sandwich. Just don’t do it, man. Bacon. Lettuce. Tomatoes. That is legit all I want out of this sandwich.
Until now.
As I mentioned earlier, theres a little restaurant here in Florida that’s open for 4 hours a day, 4 days a week. You’d think it would be impossible to stay in business but everything they make is so phenomenal that there’s a line out the door the second they open. One of their signature sandwiches is a BLT pimento cheese sandwich and as a certified BLT-snob I HAD to try it!
Spoiler alert: it was amazing and I’ve been craving them around the clock ever since.
Now that I’m a card carrying member of team PCBLT it’s your turn!
BLT Pimento Cheese Sandwich
This glorious stacked sandwich is piled high with smoky bacon, crisp lettuce, and creamy pimento cheese for the ultimate PC BLT experience.
BLT Pimento Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
FOR THE SANDWICH:
- 4 slices bread
- 4-6 slices bacon
- 4-6 leaves romaine lettuce or leaf lettuce
- 4-6 slices ripe tomato
- 1/4-1/2 cup pimento cheese (see recipe below)
- 2 TBSP quality mayo
JALAPEÑO PIMENTO CHEESE:
- 8 oz coarsely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/3-1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper, pimento peppers, or mini peppers
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers (1/3-1/2 cup minced)
- 3 tsp diced pickled jalapeño peppers
- 1 tsp vinegar from the pickled jalapeño jar
- 1/4 cup quality mayo (extra if desired)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
FOR THE PIMENTO CHEESE:
- In a medium-large bowl, combine cheddar cheese, diced peppers, pickled peppers, vinegar, mayo, garlic powder, paprika, and a pinch of salt. Control the heat by adding as much or as little jalapeño as you'd like. As written the spread is medium with a kiss of heat.
- Pimento cheese mixture can be prepped in advance and refrigerated for 2-4 days. The flavors amplify the next day - YUM! If serving right away, allow mixture to chill in the fridge while you cook your bacon.
FOR THE SANDWICH:
- First cook your bacon until golden and crispy. This can be done in the oven or in a skillet on the stove.
- Place bacon on paper towels and pat dry.
- Use a toaster to lightly toast your bread or place on the very same skillet you used for the bacon. Toast on medium-low heat. You can also swipe a little may on your bread before toasting for a super golden crust. I use this trick with grilled cheese and love it!
- Spread mayo on two slices of bread and pimento cheese on the other halves.
- Top with bacon, lettuce and tomato and remaining slice-o-toast.
- Take a bite.
- Commence happy dance.
Notes
Nutrition
Pssst! Want your bacon to actually STAY on the sandwich instead of leaping to it’s doom back onto the plate, your lap, or the floor? Weave your bacon into a handy dandy sandwich square – it’s easy!
For larger slices of sandwich bread, grab 3-6 slices of uncooked bacon per sandwich. You can make the XL by keeping the bacon whole or cut them in half. My super-small ciabatta bread only needed 2 slices cut in half to form 4 pieces. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or foil if you prefer) and arrange your bacon, weaving them into a lattice pattern, either 3×3 or 2×2 if you’re making small squares like I did. Place in the oven (no preheating here!) then turn to 400 degrees F and bake until golden and crispy, approx. 15-20 minutes depending on the size of your woven bacon squares and how soft or crispy you’d like your bacon. Once removed, set on paper towels to drain, patting the top dry as well.
Easy peasy bacon weave-y!
Special Diets and Swaps
You can make this blt pimento cheese sandwich a few different ways. Extra add-ons include thinly sliced red onion, sliced or mashed avocado, and even thinly sliced granny smith apples for a touch of sweetness and crunch. Have fun with it!
You could even grill them on a skillet and make pimento cheese grilled cheese!
Brontosaurus Chefs
Make these tasty sandwiches vegetarian by skipping traditional bacon and opting for your favorite alternative. There’s a smoky maple tempeh bacon my local grocery store carries that is simply fabulous! Vegan? Try one of these easy, cheezy vegan grilled cheese sammies!
Gluten-Free?
Snag your favorite gluten-free bread and you’re good to go!
If you get a chance to try this crazy delicious BLT pimento cheese sandwich, let me know! You can leave me a comment or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations!
This is an amazing idea! I can’t wait to try! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Made this for dinner yesterday. Loved the kick of the jalapeño in the cheese. Messy to eat but loved it.
Thanks B 🙂 So stoked you enjoyed it!
Yum!!!!! And that bacon, OMG! Can’t wait to try this recipe out.
Thank you Priya! So excited for you to try it! 🙂
Oh my! I’m not a pimento cheese fan, BUT you might have converted me!
Haha Thanks Tracee! Can I confess that I’ve never been either? This fresher, kick-ed up version makes me straight up love it!
I showed this picture to my husband he just said, “yes.” I think I know what I’m making this weekend haha. These look amazing! There’s a little diner near my work that makes something similar and it’s just so good.
This looks SO good! I want to make this next time my mom comes to visit – she loves pimento cheese.