We love bacon. If you don’t, we can’t take you seriously as a person. It’s like people that don’t have a Facebook account. They can’t be trusted.
Like our big boy grilled cheese sandwiches, we have taken this classic sandwich and kicked it up a notch. And by ‘kicked it up a notch’ we mean we fried things.
Despite having never seen Fried Green tomatoes, John was dead set on making them for these sandwiches. We had looked at the grocery for green tomatoes, but like the time we looked at four different stores for rhubarb, we came home with nothing… and a lot of wine.
Red, green or otherwise, the fried tomatoes along with the toast and crispy bacon, make this sandwich an explosion of crumbs and crunch. Also, the basil lemon mayo is amazing. We almost made it’s own post to serve as dip.
basil lemon mayo sandwiches Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tomatoes in freezer for about 30 minutes. They should be firm, but not completely frozen. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the basil lemon mayo and set aside. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lay out the strips of bacon on it. Make sure they don’t overlap. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Once desired crispiness is achieved, remove from oven and place strips on a plate lined with paper towels. In three separate bowls, place the flour in one, cornmeal (or polenta) in another, and in the last the large egg beaten with a tablespoon of water. In a large saucepan, heat about a 1/2″ to 1″ of vegetable oil to 300 degrees. Remove the tomatoes from the freezer and slice tomatoes into medium thickness (about 1/2″) slices so they hold up when fried. Dredge the tomatoes in the flour, then egg, and finally in the cornmeal. Then carefully place the tomatoes in hot oil. Fry for a few minutes, until golden, flipping halfway through. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to soak up excess oil. Under a broiler or in a toaster, toast the bread slices and spread the basil lemon mayo on one side of each slice. Layer the lettuce, fried tomatoes, and bacon between bread. Serve immediately and enjoy.
makes 2 sandwiches