Mini BLT Appetizers
Five simple ingredients is all it takes to wow friends and family with a tasty appetizer.
Five simple ingredients is all it takes to wow friends and family with a tasty appetizer.
- Carbohydrate 2.68714133374925 g
- Cholesterol 4.00400000177524 mg
- Fat 3.41067466834503 g
- Fiber 0.355733339659373 g
- Protein 0.772693333377968 g
- Saturated Fat 0.767381333597539 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (28g)
- Sodium 77.6772000341352 mg
- Sugar 2.33140799408987 g
- Trans Fat 0.270936000090943 g
- Calories 43 calories
Step-by-step
- Cut a thin slice off the top of each tomato. Scoop out and discard pulp; invert tomatoes on paper towels to drain. Pipe mayonnaise into tomatoes.
- Top each with a piece of rolled up lettuce, croutons and bacon. Sprinkle with pepper. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 hour.
Standard pastry bags waste too much mayonnaise when portioning fillings into small cavities, so a heavy-duty ziplock bag with a half-inch corner snip serves as an efficient alternative. Stainless steel melon ballers or small measuring spoons clear out seed chambers cleanly without puncturing thin skins. Inverted tomatoes must drain on paper towels for at least ten minutes to purge excess internal moisture before filling.
Removing the wet seed pulp entirely prevents the mayonnaise from breaking down and sliding out of the tomato cups during chilling. Standard reduced-fat mayonnaise provides enough structural stability to hold the garnish without weeping water into the cavity. Working on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper catches crumbs and keeps the assembly station organized.
Rolling the bibb lettuce pieces into tight cylinders allows them to sit neatly atop the piped condiment alongside the crumbled bacon. Crushing salad croutons into smaller fragments ensures the toppings distribute evenly across the thirty individual portions rather than tumbling off the sides. Coarsely ground black pepper adds necessary pungency to cut through the rich fat content of the bacon and mayonnaise.
Assembled appetizers hold well in a refrigerator for up to one hour before serving when stored uncovered or loosely tented to prevent the croutons from becoming soggy. Excess humidity inside sealed plastic containers ruins the textural contrast between the crisp crouton and the tender tomato shell. Cold temperatures firm the fats in the bacon and mayonnaise, improving structural integrity during plating.
