Fried Green Tomato BLT with Pimento Cheese

I mentioned yesterday when I posted about my foray into Pimento Cheese that I actually made it for something specific.  Well, here it is--the BEST sandwich in the world!  (Seriously, I'm addicted to these things, and I'm not even really a sandwich person.)  I had a version of this at The Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina last fall, and have been dreaming of it ever since.  A couple of restaurants in my small town started serving a Fried Green Tomato BLT, but they just put flavored mayo on it.  I was really craving the decadence of the pimento cheese, so when I ran across some green tomatoes at a co-op nearby, I bought some to make this delicious sandwich.

The tomatoes are luscious fried up in cornmeal.  (I used Forks, Knives & Spades' recipe, and I wouldn't change a thing for this sandwich.)  Strangely, green tomatoes turn all creamy and smooth when fried.  Add the crunch and saltiness of the bacon with the crispness of the lettuce and the richness of the pimento cheese, and I think you have the best southern sandwich out there!

Fried Green Tomato BLT with Pimento Cheese
Makes 4 sandwiches

8 slices rustic bread, lightly toasted
2 green tomatoes, fried according to this recipe (or your own)
12-16 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and set aside to drain on a paper towel
1 batch pimento cheese
4 big leaves of romaine (or other crunchy) lettuce

Spread a thick layer of pimento cheese on one slice of bread for each sandwich.  Layer the bacon, two tomato slices each and the lettuce on top of the pimento cheese.  Top with the second slice of bread.  Best served when the tomatoes are warm and fresh from the frying pan.  Enjoy!

 Subscribe to free updates from The World in My Kitchen