After a long day on the road en route to your ultimate camping destination, or after an epic day of adventure, it’s nice to have easy dinner prep waiting for you. Make-ahead BLTs have become my go-to for those times. Not only is a BLT perhaps mankind’s best invention, but with just a little home prep, these sandwiches can come together in a snap at your campsite.
Of course you know the key ingredients for a BLT: bacon, lettuce and tomato. The timeless trio is stacked between two slices of toasted bread with an ample slathering of mayonnaise. Yum.
As much as I love them, I would never consider making BLT sandwiches from scratch at camp. The mess and time it would take to fry the bacon and clean up afterwards goes against my camp cooking philosophy. And then there is the issue of toast. The bread absolutely, positively must be toasted. That point is non-negotiable. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know there are camping toaster contraptions, but I don’t have one. Instead, I opt for a little pre-trip prep.
My Strategy For A Make-Ahead BLT
Toast the bread, cook the bacon and prep the lettuce at home. Put these prepped sandwich elements in separate containers. Store the bacon and lettuce in your cooler, of course. When it’s time for dinner, simply slice your tomato and smear a little mayo on your pre-toasted bread. Heck, if you want even easier prep, buy precooked bacon. You should be able to find it at the meat counter of your favorite grocery store. I prefer to cook my own bacon, in the oven. It’s so easy, and much less of a mess.
Cooked bacon will last about 3-4 days in your cooler or RV refrigerator.
So why not add a make-ahead BLT to your camping menu? It’s a super simple prep, and a very satisfying sandwich. Make it an easy camping meal by picking up some potato salad or baked beans from your local deli for a no-fuss side dish.