The Cheesy Upgrade You'll Want To Make For Your Next BLT

There are few classic American sandwiches that are better than a BLT. There's something just so savory and perfect about how the salty, fatty bacon contrasts the crunchiness of the lettuce and the juiciness of a freshly sliced tomato. Once you add two perfectly toasted slices of bread and a coating of mayonnaise, you're in business. 

But there's something that's missing when it comes to a standard BLT. That something is the creamy, cheesy, and well-loved concoction known as pimento cheese. Although its name implies that it's made with a single type of cheese like cheddar, Gruyére, or ricotta, pimento is actually a hodgepodge of several different cheese varieties, along with some non-cheese elements, too. Classic pimento cheese is traditionally made with a thick, cream cheese base interspersed with chunks of bacon, cheddar cheese, chives, and of course, pimento peppers. It's one ingredient that you can add to your BLT to help bolster the flavors because there are so many complementary elements shared between the spread and the sando. For example, both often have bacon, so you'll amp up the savory quality by adding a heaping spread of the pimento cheese to half your slices of bread and then packing the mayonnaise on the other. And honestly, you can get away with skipping the mayo entirely because the pimento cheese has enough creaminess to go around.

While the recipe for pimento cheese is pretty standard, you can easily tweak it to make it a bit more compatible with your sandwich. For example, if you want to amplify the smokiness of your dip, try adding a hickory-smoked bacon instead of a plain variety. This type of bacon has a deeper flavor and more complex undertones that will both elevate your sandwich and your dip. And if you love a sandwich with a little bit of a spicy edge, you may consider using a sriracha mayo in your pimento cheese (and on your BLT), or try adding some paprika, cayenne, or ancho chili powder to the dip.

Since pimento cheese tends to be a bit on the creamy side, there's always the option to add more ingredients to it to give it texture. Doing a coarser chop on your pimento peppers, or adding in some extra diced jalapeños or bell peppers can give your sandwich a profound crunch that a slice of lettuce just can't provide. Regardless of how you make your pimento, just remember to smear it onto your next BLT for an upgraded flavor bomb.