BLT Dip with Peppered Bacon
This creamy BLT dip has an entire pound of savory peppered bacon hiding under that gorgeous mountain of shredded lettuce and juicy tomatoes. Serve it with butter crackers at your next party and watch it disappear in a flash.
I've been making the world's best classic BLT sandwiches for years so it was only fitting to whip up this amazing appetizer spin-off!
Sometimes you just want all that bacon-y goodness without committing to an entire sandwich.
Need a dish to bring to a potluck party? I guarantee that peppered bacon in a zesty dressing served with buttery crackers is going to be a huge hit!
Why This is the Best Recipe
- Make-Ahead Friendly: You can prep the creamy base up to 24 hours in advance and then just assemble and serve.
- Fresh and Seasonal: This dish is best with in-season summery tomatoes but it is still the perfect dish to make in the winter with a pint of cherry tomatoes.
- So. Much. Bacon: A whole pound. Why skimp?? It's a party.
Ingredients
This quick and easy dip starts with such simple ingredients:
- Bacon: An entire pound of sliced bacon is used in this delicious dip. Is it really a party without bacon??
- Sour Cream
- Mayonnaise
- Dry Italian Dressing Mix: I love this very flavorful dry Italian dressing mix and it is always in my pantry. A flatpack of it ships for free if you want to try it. Otherwise, just grab a Zesty Italian dressing packet from your grocery store.
- Shredded Lettuce
- Cherry Tomatoes: I chose a colorful container of rainbow tomatoes to make the dip extra pretty. Cherry tomatoes have more yummy flesh and less seedy filling than a large tomato but you could use any fresh tomatoes you want.
- Black Pepper
- Crackers for Serving
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Bake the Bacon
You can prep the bacon up to 24 hours in advance to make this even easier if you want to break up the steps.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Generously season the bacon with pepper and then bake it for 7 minutes.
Drain the excess fat from the pan, turn the bacon over, and bake for another 7 minutes or until crispy.
Let the bacon drain on a plate lined with paper towels before crumbling. It must be completely cool before adding it to your dip.
Mix the Dip Base
Add the sour cream, mayo, and Italian dressing mix to a large mixing bowl and stir them together.
Reserve 3 strips of bacon for garnish, crumble the rest into the bowl and stir.
Chill Time
Spread the dip onto a pretty serving platter. I used an oblong serving plate with a thick rim.
Crumble the reserved strips of bacon and sprinkle them over the top for garnish.
Now chill the base by itself for at least 3 hours for the flavors to mingle.
Make Ahead Tips
You can wrap the prepared dish of creamy base in plastic wrap and chill for up to 24 hours.
However, DO NOT sprinkle the lettuce or chopped tomatoes on top until just before serving. They will quickly wilt and you want to serve the dish at its prettiest!
If you're bringing this to a potluck party, I recommend keeping the lettuce and tomatoes separate until you arrive at the party. You can quickly assemble the dish when you get there and it will be perfectly fresh.
Serving Suggestions
Just before serving, sprinkle the shredded lettuce over the top of the creamy base.
Then sprinkle the chopped tomatoes over the top and offer up butter crackers for spreading on the side.
It helps to keep spreader knives or small spoons for scooping on hand for guests to get big tasty bites onto their crackers.
Dip vs. Spread
Note: I call this BLT dip because I dip my crackers into the creamy bacon base and top it with the fresh veggies.
However, some purists might call this a "spread" instead.
If you choose to serve this in a bowl instead of spread on a platter, I do not recommend stirring the lettuce and tomatoes into the creamy base. They will lose their texture and the final mix will not look very appetizing.
More Easy Dips
Love the ease of a make-ahead dip for party time? Don't miss my other favorite dip recipes:
📖 Recipe
BLT Dip
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon
- 1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon dry Italian dressing mix
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes quartered
- Ritz crackers for serving
Instructions Start Cooking
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the bacon slices in an even layer and generously sprinkle with black pepper.
- Bake the bacon for 7 minutes. Drain the excess fat from the pan and flip the bacon over. Bake for an additional 7 minutes or until crispy. Line a plate with paper towels and allow the bacon to drain and cool.
- Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, and Italian dressing mix to a medium mixing bowl and stir them together until well combined. Set aside 3 strips of bacon for garnish and then crumble the rest and add to the mixing bowl. Stir everything together.
- Spread the mixture onto a serving platter. Crumble the remaining 3 strips of bacon and sprinkle over the top. Chill the plate for 6 hours up to 24 hours in advance.
- Sprinkle the shredded lettuce evenly over the top and sprinkled the sliced tomatoes for garnish. Serve with crackers on the side for scooping.
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