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    Home » Recipe Index » Sandwiches

    BLT Bagel

    January 7, 2024 Updated April 16, 2024 By Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD Cooking for One, Entrees, Sandwiches, Summer Recipes

    Jump to Recipe
    bagel sandwich on a black plate with text overlay
    bagel blt on a black plate with text overlay

    Make a simple BLT even better by serving it on a bagel! This BLT bagel for one is easy, ready in about 15 minutes, and packed with flavor and textures. Layer perfectly cooked bacon, a thick slice of tomato, tender lettuce on a bagel.

    Bagel BLT on a black plate

    [This BLT bagel recipe was originally posted in August 2020. It has been updated with cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]

    Table of contents

    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Storage/Reheating Tips
    • Substitutions/Tips
    • FAQ
    • Other good sandwich recipes
    • What to do with leftover ingredients

    If you bought bagels and have a couple left, but are tired of plain bagels & cream cheese, turn your bagel into a BLT bagel. It takes just about 15 minutes to make, is super easy, and well, it has bacon on it. Not much easier than this.

    This makes for a tasty lunch for one, or breakfast or dinner. You really can't go wrong. Stick with this simple sandwich (with cream cheese instead of mayo!) or add additional toppings (see in substitutions section). The sky is the limit!

    Ingredients

    Scroll down to the BLT bagel recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here's a quick visual + description of what's in this recipe.

    ingredients for BLT on a bagel
    • Bagel: Use your favorite savory bagel. I like everything bagels, plain, onion, and cheddar jalapeno bagels for a BLT bagel. Enjoy at room temperature or toast.
    • Bacon: Cook your bacon to preference. I recommend slicing it in half before adding to your bagel. It'll cover the bagel better.
    • Lettuce: Red leaf, green leaf lettuce, romaine, ice berg-any of these would work on this sandwich.
    • Tomato: Tomatoes really are best when bought in season, choose the best looking tomato for a tasty, beefy tomato slice. Look for deeper color tomatoes, heavier ones, and soft-firm flesh.
    • Cream Cheese: Why not swap traditional mayo for cream cheese on this bagel?! Or stick with traditional mayo. I like this sandwich with leftover cream cheese/bagels.

    Instructions

    Scroll down to the recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here's a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.

    1. Start to make your BLT bagel by cooking the bacon-lay out 3 slices on a large sautee pan. Cook until desired doneness. Remove bacon and place on a plate with a paper towel to soak up excess grease. Set aside.

    bagel with cream cheese next to tomatoes, lettuce, and bacon

    2. While bacon is cooking, slice tomato into about ¼ thick slices, wash lettuce and set aside. Slice your bagel in half and toast to preference. Smear cream cheese on one or both bagel slices.

    3. Using bagel as your guide, break apart cooked bacon slices into slices to fit on bagel. Layer slices on top of cream cheese.

    tomato, lettuce, and cream cheese on a bagel

    4. Fold lettuce over in half to better fit on bagel, or cut it in half down the middle. Top bacon with lettuce. Then place tomato on top of lettuce. Eat immediately.

    Serve your BLT Bagel by itself, with a green salad, chips, or fresh fruit.

    Storage/Reheating Tips

    A BLT bagel is best made right before eating. You could pre slice the bagel, and lettuce store each in individual airtight bags or containers. For best results, slice the tomato and cook bacon right before serving.

    It's not recommend to reheat this sandwich as the tomato will change texture and get juice on the bagel and bacon which isn't ideal.

    You could slice and freeze bagels and toast when you're ready to eat them. You can also freeze bacon, see how to freeze bacon from One Dish Kitchen.

    Substitutions/Tips

    • Cook eggs, pancakes, chard/beet greens, or other veggies in leftover bacon grease.
    • Use romaine, iceberg, green leaf, or red leaf lettuce in your BLT bagel recipe.
    • I usually buy Neufchatel cheese instead of regular cream cheese. It has less fat than regular, and tastes exactly the same to me. It may also be marketed as ⅓ fat cream cheese. But use what you like/have access to
    • Everything, onion, plain, and cheese bagels are great for BLT Bagels.
    • Other Great Add-Ins: precooked chicken, turkey (breast or deli), avocado, mayonnaise, hot sauce, sprouts, American cheese, other vegetables, etc.

    FAQ

    What kind of lettuce goes on a BLT?

    Some say iceberg lettuce is the only good lettuce for a BLT which I get because it's super crunchy and crispy! While iceberg is great, so is romaine lettuce and red leaf lettuce. Honestly, use what you have on hand.

    Should a BLT be toasted?

    Toasting your bagel or bread to make a BLT really is the best. It helps your bread/bagel not get soggy from the lettuce and tomato. Plus it adds a great crunch.

    What condiments go on a BLT?

    A BLT usually has mayonnaise on it, this BLT bagel sandwich has cream cheese on it as another condiment option. Avocado, hot sauce, etc would be good condiment additions too.

    bagel on a plate with BLT ingredients surrounding it

    Other good sandwich recipes

    • Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich
    • Grilled Turkey & Brie Sandwich with Blueberry Mustard
    • Chicken Salad Pita Sandwich
    • Brisket Grilled Cheese

    What to do with leftover ingredients

    When you're cooking for one, you often have leftover produce, cans of whatever ingredient, etc. Here are a couple ideas on how to use up the leftover ingredients. It'll help you save money by wasting fewer ingredients.

    • Bacon: Chicken Bacon Sheetpan Dinner or Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches.
    • Lettuce: Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Dressing (just swap the spinach for this leftover lettuce) or Chicken Salad Pitas.
    • Tomato: Cucumber & Tomato Salad, No-Mayo Potato Salad, Mediterranean Grain Bowl.
    • Cream Cheese: Easy No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars, Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream, or in this Mushroom Chicken and Rice dish.
    • Bagel: Bagel with Eggs, swap for English muffin in this Time Saving Breakfast Sandwich.
    • Bacon Grease: Cook eggs, pancakes, waffles, chard/beet greens, or other veggies in your bacon grease.

    Did you make this BLT Bagel? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!

    close up of a blt on an everything bagel

    BLT Bagel

    Need to use up cream cheese and bagels? This super easy BLT bagel is bursting with flavor and texture. It's the perfect sandwich any time of the day.
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, Brunch, dinner, Lunch
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1 sandwich
    Author: Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN

    Equipment

    • Toaster
    • knife
    • cutting board
    • Large sautee pan

    Ingredients

    • 3 slices bacon
    • 1-2 thick slices tomato
    • 1-2 leaves lettuce romaine or red leaf
    • 1 oz cream cheese
    • 1 bagel everything, onion, plain, or cheese bagels are best

    Instructions

    • Cook bacon by laying out 3 slices on a large sautee pan. Cook until bacon shrinks in size and looks darker in color, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip over and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until it reaches your desired crispiness.
    • Remove bacon and place on a plate with a paper towel to soak up excess grease. Set aside
    • While bacon is cooking, slice 1-2 slices of tomato into about ¼ thick slices, wash 1-2 leaves of lettuce and set aside.
    • Slice bagel in half and toast to your preference.
    • Smear about 1 ounce of cream cheese on one or both bagel slices. Using bagel as a guide, break apart bacon slices to fit on bagel. Layer bacon on bottom side of the bagel.
    • Fold lettuce over in half to better fit on bagel, or cut it in half down the middle. Top bacon with lettuce. Then place 1-2 slices of tomato on top of lettuce. Slice bagel down center and eat immediately.
    • Serve with green salad or fresh fruit if desired.

    Notes

    • Cook eggs, pancakes, chard/beet greens, or other veggies in your bacon grease.
    • Use romaine, iceberg, green leaf, or red leaf lettuce in this recipe.
    • I usually buy Neufchatel cheese instead of regular cream cheese. It has less fat than regular, and tastes just the same to me. It may also be marketed as ⅓ fat cream cheese.
    • Everything, onion, plain, and cheese bagels are great in this recipe.
    • Optional add-ins: precooked chicken or turkey (breast or deli), avocado, hot sauce, American cheese, sprouts, additional vegetables, egg.
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it Today!Mention @NourishNutriCo or tag #NourishNutriCo!

    Want time saving tips to make recipes like this BLT bagel delivered to your inbox? Click here to download my Cooking for One Time Saving Tips.

    Recipes are great, but you’ll need a simple 3 step process to create a meal plan that make cooking easy & helps you stop wasting food. Check out this expertly developed meal planning guide to get started. 

    More Sandwiches

    • two slices of egg bagel sandwich held by hand
      Bagel with Eggs
    • chicken sandwich slices, stacked
      Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich
    • brisket grilled cheese sandwich on a plate
      Easy Brisket Grilled Cheese (with leftover brisket)
    • chicken salad with crasins and walnuts on lettuce
      Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad for One

    About Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD

    Welcome! I’m Rebecca, a food loving dietitian who has been cooking for one for over 10 years. On Nourish Nutrition, you’ll find real, quick, and nourishing recipes for one that'll get you to want to cook for yourself, because you deserve it.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. MacKenzie says

      January 10, 2024 at 12:36 pm

      5 stars
      Made these last night. They are perfect for dinner and busy nights on the go even my picky eaters like them.

      Reply
      • Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD says

        January 11, 2024 at 12:02 pm

        awesome!

        Reply
    2. Andrea says

      January 10, 2024 at 12:31 pm

      5 stars
      Everything bagel, cream cheese instead of mayo, count me in for this delicious sandwich.

      Reply
      • Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD says

        January 11, 2024 at 12:01 pm

        right?! so good

        Reply
    3. Anjali says

      January 10, 2024 at 12:03 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for lunch today and it turned out great! It was so simple but tasted so good! Will definitely be making this again soon!

      Reply
      • Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD says

        January 11, 2024 at 12:01 pm

        great to hear!

        Reply
    4. Elisa says

      January 10, 2024 at 11:52 am

      5 stars
      This BLT Bagel recipe; looks delicious and is so easy to make. Will make it soon. Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
      • Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD says

        January 11, 2024 at 12:01 pm

        definitely, enjoy!

        Reply
    5. Bobby says

      January 10, 2024 at 11:35 am

      5 stars
      Had this on an everything bagel and it was perfect. So much flavor!

      Reply
      • Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD says

        January 11, 2024 at 12:01 pm

        great to hear!

        Reply
    6. Jill says

      August 19, 2020 at 8:05 pm

      5 stars
      Now I need to go out and buy some bagels so I can make one of these!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 21, 2020 at 6:13 pm

        do it!!!

        Reply
    7. Anjali says

      August 19, 2020 at 7:32 pm

      5 stars
      Love this twist on a traditional bagel sandwich! Super easy to make and great for lunch!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 21, 2020 at 6:13 pm

        oh ya it totally is!

        Reply
    8. Christian Guzman says

      August 19, 2020 at 7:26 pm

      5 stars
      This was perfect for lunch today! I picked an heirloom tomato from the garden just this morning. I snipped off two big lettuce leaves from the indoor garden and so tasty on a toasty bagel. Yum!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 21, 2020 at 6:14 pm

        that's a dream of a homegrown lunch! YUM!

        Reply
    9. Anita says

      August 19, 2020 at 7:19 pm

      5 stars
      I love a good BLT sandwich, so I immediately love it in a bagel form too. 🙂

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 21, 2020 at 6:14 pm

        haha right?! bagels make them so much better!

        Reply
    10. Vicky says

      August 19, 2020 at 6:57 pm

      5 stars
      Mouth watering recipe! This is amazing!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 21, 2020 at 6:14 pm

        totally! thanks

        Reply
    5 from 10 votes

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