Chels and I decided to head to the WBUR Public Radio Kitchen meet-up at the last minute on Thursday and I since I was working a full day, I needed to make something quick and easy. At first, I thought the recipes I found for BLT Bites were a bit odd-sounding. But after giving one a chance and tweaking it a bit, I was thrilled!
I don’t dislike mayonnaise, but the thought of popping a tomato full of it in my mouth, turned me off a bit. So, when I found a recipe that used a mixture with sour cream as well, I decided to use it.
BLT Bites (makes about 40):
- About 1 lb. thick-cut bacon
- About 40 plum tomatoes
- 3/4 C shredded lettuce or arugula
- 1/2 C sour cream
- 1/2 C mayonnaise (I used light)
- Salt and pepper
- Chives, chopped finely
First, you should probably get started on the bacon since it can take a while. I used bacon from Trader Joe’s, but it made me really miss Oscar Mayer. From some reason, no bacon cooks up quite like Oscar Mayer does.
As the bacon got crispy, I took it out of the frying pan and set it on paper towels in order to soak up some of the extra grease.
While the bacon was cooking, I got started on the tomatoes. This was definitely the toughest part of the recipe, but mostly because it was a bit tedious. First I cut the top off of each tomato. I also cut a tiny slice off the bottom, simply to allow the tomatoes to stand up better, so they wouldn’t roll all over the place.
Then, using a little teaspoon, I scooped out the center of the tomato. This was easier than I thought it would be, but still a bit tedious for 40 tomatoes! Sprinkle them with salt and pepper too.
In a bowl, combine the sour cream and mayonnaise. Then fill the tomatoes. I used the teaspoon to fill the tomatoes too. I didn’t put a whole lot of the mixture in them because I didn’t want it to be overwhelming. If it looks like a lot, it’s because I didn’t push it down all the way.
The recipe called for shredded lettuce, but I decided to bring it up a level with some arugula. Either works, but I love the extra kick arugula gives! I just put a few pieces on top of the tomato.
Then crumble the bacon and top the tomatoes with that. I just kept adding bacon until there was none left (OK, I might have had a piece myself, too. Oops).
I stuck them in the fridge for about an hour. Then took them out and sprinkled with the chives and brought them to the meet-up!
I’m actually pretty excited by how these turned out! They’re great one-bite appetizers and super simple to make. I actually felt like I was eating a little mini-BLT with each one. I didn’t even miss the bread!
Plus, they’re perfect for the BLT lover who’s trying to watch their carbs 🙂
Use light mayo and sour cream and turkey bacon and they’re actually not so bad for you. Also, the organic tomatoes I got from Trader Joe’s were SO good! A little more expensive than the others, but they were the only ones that worked in terms of size. I could eat a whole container in one sitting (even sans bacon!).
I love little, easy-to-make appetizers like this. And since most everyone loves a good BLT, this is sure to make people happy. And they’re super pretty-looking too!
[Sues]
I got to eat a few of these at the PRK Meetup last week. They were delicious and a really nice pick-me-up appetizer.
I agree, Oscar Meyer is my go-to bacon when I need that traditional taste.
What a superb idea!
Thanks for posting this! When I saw them on your blog the other day I was dying for the recipe. They definitely served something just like this at the black tie event I was at on Friday. So delish!
Yum! These are going to be great at my appetizer night! Delicious! My only issue is going to be finding those trader joe tomatoes! I love trader joes! I wish we had one in Rochester, NY! Have you had their pancake mix?
YUMMY – those look delicious!!
Yum! They are so cute and I bet they turned out delicious!
These are fresh little bites for the holidays.
I LOVE BLT’s. What a great idea to stuff them in cherry tomatoes.
Drat, your love of bacon is such a deal breaker from time to time! (For vegetarian readers.)
These look delicious and pretty! A very colorful appetizer.
Yum yum yum! I think the arugula idea is genius – a little peppery kick. And my favorite bacon is the thick-cut stuff from Whole Foods (behind the meat counter) – super flavorful and intensely bacony. These look perfect for our Festivus party we’re going to in a couple weeks. Thanks!
Ooh… you made those? They were sooo good! And I completely agree about Oscar Mayer bacon. It always gets nice and crisp.
Thanks so much for the link! (And yes, sour cream makes all the difference. No one wants a mouth full of mayo.)
these were delicious!! love the sour cream save 😉
I could eat a BLT everyday! Love them. These are so cute and a great idea.
I just made these for a party and everyone LOVED them. I used a pastry bag to put the sour cream/mayo mix in which made things a little cleaner. Thanks for sharing!
Making them for Super Bowl…
Much Love
Uncle Leon