I compared Martha Stewart's and Ina Garten's BLT sandwiches, and I preferred the recipe with store-bought mayo

Erin McDowellJun 18, 2024, 00:45 IST

I tried making Martha Stewart's and Ina Garten's signature BLT sandwiches.Erin McDowell/Business Insider; Michael Loccisano/Getty Images; Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

I tried making Martha Stewart's and Ina Garten's signature BLT sandwiches.
Martha Stewart's was more time-consuming to make due to the addition of homemade mayonnaise.

Martha Stewart and Ina Garten both have a large repertoire of recipes, including recipes for BLT sandwiches.

I decided to try both of the celebrity chefs' recipes in order to determine which one I preferred. Unsurprisingly, both recipes called for similar ingredients, but there were a few differences between Garten's and Stewart's methods for making a BLT.

Martha Stewart opts for homemade mayonnaise to make her "perfect" BLT, while Garten uses avocado in her California-inspired sandwich. I made them both to find which one would be my new go-to lunch.

Ina Garten's California BLT recipe calls for smoked bacon, tomato, large lettuce leaves, an avocado, a lemon, white bread, and "good mayonnaise."

The ingredients for Ina Garten's BLT.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I usually fry my bacon, but the recipe said to bake it, and I really liked this method.

The bacon slices on a wired sheet pan.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I toasted the bread in the preheated oven for about five minutes, flipped them, and toasted them for another minute.

Two slices of bread with mayonnaise.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I then added washed and dried butter lettuce leaves to each side of the sandwich.

Lettuce on two slices of bread.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I then peeled and sliced the avocado before adding it to a small bowl.

Avocado slices in a bowl with lemon.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I added the avocado slices and bacon on top of the sandwich. There was a perfect amount of bacon to ensure I would get an even bite.

Lettuce, avocado, and bacon on two slices of bread.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I then added four slices of tomato and seasoned it liberally with salt and pepper.

Lettuce, avocado, tomato, and bacon on two slices of bread.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The sandwich was really easy to make and required minimal effort and cleanup.

The finished BLT.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

Martha Stewart's recipe for a "perfect" BLT uses thick-cut bacon, tomato, and lettuce. I opted for romaine, but you can use any kind you prefer.

The ingredients for Martha Stewart's BLT.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The first thing I noticed about Stewart's BLT recipe was that it calls for homemade mayonnaise, which I've never made before.

I whisked my mayonnaise, but you can also use a blender.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

My finished mayonnaise didn't exactly look like the store-bought Hellman's mayo I usually buy, but at least it was spreadable.

My finished mayonnaise.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I fried up some thick-cut maple brown sugar bacon in a pan on the stove.

The bacon I used in the BLT.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

Martha Stewart's recipe is interesting in that it calls for both butter and homemade mayonnaise.

The toasted bread slices spread with butter and mayonnaise.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

Next, I topped the buttered side of my sandwich with lettuce and tomato.

Making the BLT sandwich.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

Next, I added the basil. I've also never heard of basil being used in a BLT.

Making the BLT sandwich.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

Lastly, I added my bacon right on top and closed her up.

Making the BLT sandwich.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

Martha Stewart's BLT didn't taste like any other BLT I've ever had, largely due to the homemade mayonnaise and basil.

My finished BLT sandwich.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

Martha Stewart's "perfect BLT" took a little extra effort with the homemade mayonnaise, and I'm not sure if it was completely worth it in the end.

Stewart's BLT.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

My family of 4 ate at STK Steakhouse for the first time. Our $460 meal was pretty great, but the atmosphere wasn't our cup of tea.

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I compared Martha Stewart's and Ina Garten's BLT sandwiches, and I preferred the recipe with store-bought mayo

Ina Garten's California BLT recipe calls for smoked bacon, tomato, large lettuce leaves, an avocado, a lemon, white bread, and "good mayonnaise."

I usually fry my bacon, but the recipe said to bake it, and I really liked this method.

I toasted the bread in the preheated oven for about five minutes, flipped them, and toasted them for another minute.

I then added washed and dried butter lettuce leaves to each side of the sandwich.

I then peeled and sliced the avocado before adding it to a small bowl.

I added the avocado slices and bacon on top of the sandwich. There was a perfect amount of bacon to ensure I would get an even bite.

I then added four slices of tomato and seasoned it liberally with salt and pepper.

The sandwich was really easy to make and required minimal effort and cleanup.

Martha Stewart's recipe for a "perfect" BLT uses thick-cut bacon, tomato, and lettuce. I opted for romaine, but you can use any kind you prefer.

The first thing I noticed about Stewart's BLT recipe was that it calls for homemade mayonnaise, which I've never made before.

My finished mayonnaise didn't exactly look like the store-bought Hellman's mayo I usually buy, but at least it was spreadable.

I fried up some thick-cut maple brown sugar bacon in a pan on the stove.

Martha Stewart's recipe is interesting in that it calls for both butter and homemade mayonnaise.

Next, I topped the buttered side of my sandwich with lettuce and tomato.

Next, I added the basil. I've also never heard of basil being used in a BLT.

Lastly, I added my bacon right on top and closed her up.

Martha Stewart's BLT didn't taste like any other BLT I've ever had, largely due to the homemade mayonnaise and basil.

Martha Stewart's "perfect BLT" took a little extra effort with the homemade mayonnaise, and I'm not sure if it was completely worth it in the end.