The "Expert" BLT (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich)

How can you beat this?? All the perfect ingredients are between two slices of lightly toasted bread...the juicy height-of-summer red tomatoes, the crunchy green lettuce leaves, the creamy mayo binding it all together, and, best of all, the incomparable meaty, smoky, salty-sweet flavor of the bacon. It doesn't get get better than this!!!!

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  minced chives or 2  tablespoons  minced scallions
• 1⁄2 cup mayonnaise (Hellmann's is the best, and NOT the low-fat kind)
• 12  slices  good-quality bacon
• 8  slices  good-quality  white bread, lightly toasted
• 2  large  ripe tomatoes, thickly sliced
•  fresh ground black pepper
•  crisp lettuce leaf (Romaine or Iceberg)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix the chives (or scallions) with the mayonnaise.
2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, keeping the slices separate as they cook, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon from pan with tongs and place on a paper-towel covered plate to drain.
3. Spread one side of all slices of the toast with the mayonnaise. Layer 4 slices of the toast with tomatoes and bacon and grind black pepper over the top, add a lettuce leaf, close the sandwiches with remaining slices of toast, cut in half diagonally, and serve.