Cheesy Bacon and Tomato Lettuce Rolls #FoodieExtravaganza

These cheesy bacon and tomato lettuce rolls are simple to create. They make a wonderful lunch or snack full of freshness and flavor, from the smoky bacon and sharp cheddar to the crunchy lettuce, ripe tomatoes and especially the honey Dijon mayo.

I have mixed feelings about this post. Not the cheesy bacon and tomato lettuce rolls themselves. They are fabulous. Make them.

My problem is the post itself because I have some news to share that finds me conflicted. For a few years as a child and then since moving overseas in 1987, my identity has been largely defined by the many places I’ve lived, by being an expat. If you’ve read my About Me page, you know that the places I’ve had a bedroom makes a very long list. This week, that comes to an end.

Even as I type, the movers are packing things up around me, with the familiar screech of huge tape rolls sealing boxes, the noisy rustle of crushed wrapping paper and box knives slicing through cardboard. With so many workers in one room, it’s almost deafening at times. These sounds are familiar, normal, usually harbingers of a new life in a foreign land. Now they mean I am going home.

I look forward to spending more time with family and friends in the States, and also traveling with my husband for extended periods, with no deadlines looming or constant emails and phone calls to tend to.

But I am also going to miss the unexpected challenge of moving to a new country, the adventure of making new friends and figuring out how things work. And, of course, I am really going to miss the friends I made in Dubai. I know we’ll keep in touch, as I have with other special friends from other locations, but there’s always sadness to leave people behind.

I don’t want to trivialize that sadness but I can tell you that bacon always cheers me up. Hence, these lovely rolls.

Cheesy Bacon and Tomato Lettuce Rolls

You can switch out the thick bacon for thin sliced, if you’d prefer but I think the thick cut stuff gives a better bacon to other ingredients ratio. Make sure to cut enough of the hard ribs out because this will make the lettuce much easier to roll up.

Ingredients
For 6 cheesy BLT rolls:
6 slices thick cut bacon, fried till crispy but still pliable
2 ripe Roma tomatoes, sliced very thinly
6 heart of romaine lettuce leaves, washed and dried well
3 1/2 oz or 100g extra sharp cheddar, grated
Freshly ground black pepper

To secure the rolls: wooden skewers

For the honey Dijon mayo:
1/4 cup or 56g mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon minced green onion tops
1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
Optional but recommended: dash or two of your favorite hot sauce

Method
In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the honey Dijon mayo. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Use a sharp knife to cut the thick hard ribs out of each lettuce leaf. Spoon some of the honey Dijon mayo on one side of the leaf.

Top this with a slice of bacon.

Sprinkle with cheese, the top with the thinly sliced tomato. Give the tomatoes a good couple of grinds of black pepper then drizzle with a little more mayo. 

Finally add a little more grated cheese. Fold the other side of the lettuce leaf over.

From the base of the romaine leaf, roll it up and secure the roll with a wooden skewer.

Repeat until all six rolls are done.

If you have a few tomatoes slices left over, serve them with a little of the mayo. Delish.

Enjoy!

This month my Foodie Extravaganza friends are celebrating National BLT (Bacon Lettuce Tomato sandwich) Month by sharing classic BLTs or variations on that theme. Check out the creative recipes below.  Many thanks to this month’s host, Sue of Palatable Pastime.

• A Classic BLT Sandwich from Sneha's Recipe
• BLT Focaccia from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• BLT Panzanella from Palatable Pastime
• BLT Pizza from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• BLT Waffle Fries from Simply Inspired Meals
• Cheesy Bacon and Tomato Lettuce Rolls from Food Lust People Love
• Fried Chicken BLT from Cookaholic Wife

Foodie Extravaganza celebrates obscure food holidays by posting delicious recipes your family will love. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you’re a home cook looking for tasty recipes, check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board!

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