This article is presented in partnership with Burgers’ Smokehouse.

In 1903, Good Housekeeping Everyday Cookbook published a club sandwich variation that layered lettuce and tomatoes with a helping of bacon between two slices of bread. Thus, the BLT was born. The sandwich didn’t gain its revered spot on American diner menus until after World War II when lettuce and tomatoes became available year-round thanks to an expanding market. Today, you can treat your tomatoes to a Missouri tradition: Burgers’ Smokehouse gourmet bacon. 

Burgers’ bacon is thick-cut, slow-cured, and quality-tested. Their dry cures are special recipes that flavor without added water so that during the cooking process, no flavor is lost. The bacon is then smoked over various wood chips to create classic tastes.

Whether you’re jonesing for a classic with Burgers’ Original Hickory Smoked Bacon, or looking to spice up your sandwich with Peppered Country Bacon with an extra black pepper coating or Cajun Bacon cured in a zesty spice blend, Burgers’ has something for a variety of  palates. Applewood Smoked Dry Cure and Maple Country Bacon are slowed-cured and smoked blends that achieve a balance of sweet and smoky. These timeless blends provide a subtle twist on the American classic.

Beyond the sandwich, the BLT profile has made its way into recipe books in several forms—BLT flatbreads, salads, and tacos, among others. There is also extensive creativity when it comes to the savory strips themselves. Bacon buffs create sophisticated appetizers, herculean country breakfasts, and desserts, and Burgers’ Smokehouse adds wrapping fruits and vegetables in bacon before cooking, sprinkling City Bacon End Slices on a favorite salad or pasta dish to add extra flavor and crunch, or adding bacon to brownies to balance the sweet with a little salty.

For many, however, the simple and classic BLT is the perfect way to enjoy a favorite bacon variety with the abundance of the fresh garden harvest.