Crispy Club Sandwiches with Avocado

Tomato season is slowly winding down – enjoy this sandwich soon!

You probably don’t need a recipe to make a club sandwich – toast, tomato, lettuce, turkey, bacon, mayo, done. And yet… Perhaps you haven’t made a club sandwich on a grilled bun, smeared with creamy avocado instead of mayo, and let me say that if you haven’t, you will be blown away when you take your first bite. It’s a bit magical how the hot/crispy bun and cool/creamy avocado play off each other while elevating the tomato, bacon, and turkey from tasty to sublime.

High praise for a simple little sandwich, I know, but if you don’t trust me, trust my sister Stacey, who completely agreed with me. We each bit into the two sandwiches you see pictured, simultaneously said, “Oh my God!” and then “Jinx!” and then wolfed the sandwiches down, raving the entire time.

So in the end, this is more of a suggestion than a recipe, as well as a reminder that this is a sandwich for right now, when tomatoes and avocados are at their best. Make sure to use excellent hamburger buns (I picked up these beauties at Wuollet Bakery), and while you’re at it, good turkey and bacon as well. As is always true, the simpler the food, the better the ingredients need to be.

Crispy Club Sandwiches with Avocado
Makes 2 sandwiches

4 strips of thick-cut bacon
2 hamburger buns, split
olive oil
1/2 ripe avocado
2 oz. shaved turkey breast
1 garden-ripe tomato, sliced in thick slices
salt & freshly ground pepper

Cook the bacon however you like, but I have a suggestion if you’re interested: Baking bacon on a rack lets the the bacon cook slowly while the fat drips away, resulting in the most evenly crisp and delicious bacon you’ve ever made. It’s also an easy, hands off way to make bacon for crowd, so keep it mind for when you have breakfast guests. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil (for easy clean up). Set two metal cookie racks on the baking sheet. Lay the strips of bacon on the cookie racks and bake the bacon for 20-25 minutes, until bacon is crisp. Carefully remove the pan from the oven.  You don’t need to drain the bacon when it’s done.

While the bacon cooks, lightly mash the avocado with a pinch of salt.

When the bacon is done, film a large skillet with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Set the buns, cut side down, in the oil and toast until nicely golden brown. While they’re still hot, spread the bottom buns generously with avocado. Lay slices of tomato on the avocado and sprinkle with a little salt and a grind of pepper. Add the bacon strips, then the shaved turkey. Finish with the top buns and serve immediately.