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!
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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!