If you are from the South, you know a good Tomato Sandwich when you taste one. It’s the simplicity and darn great tomatoes that make all the difference. During the summer, you won’t taste anything better. This tomato sandwich recipe can be pared down to bare bones (mayo, bread and tomatoes) or dressed up to the nines especially with my lemony-garlic aioli (bacon, etc.). The choice is yours! Do you boo.
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How to Make a Tomato Sandwich
Step 1: Get to Prepping
- Get your bacon ready. I personally bake mine to get it super crisp. Preheat your oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add your slices of bacon and bake for 15-20 minutes until super crispy and golden. It can take longer based on how thick your bacon is.
- Make your Aioli. In a small bowl, mix up the mayo, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, some black pepper and minced garlic.
- Toast the Bread and Spread: Toast up your sourdough bread and spread on the aioli.
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Step 2: Layer it Up
- Season your heirloom tomatoes with salt and pepper then add to the aioli spread bread.
- Next add your bacon and lettuce then finally close up that sandwich, cut it up and serve it up.
The BEST Tomato Sandwich Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove finely minced or grated
- 4 slices of sourdough or french bread can also use thick-cut white sandwich bread
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 large Heirloom tomatoes cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
- bacon and lettuce optional
Instructions
- Combine mayo, lemon juice, black pepper and garlic.
- Lightly toast the bread and spread on aioli.
- Layer on tomatoes (bacon and lettuce as well, if using) and close up the sandwich. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Get the Right Tomatoes: Go as ripe as you can find boos. If you see a bruised or mushy tomato, go in the opposite direction.
- Season those Tomatoes: Before you add those tomatoes to your sandwich, season em’ up! Salt and pepper are going to enhance the flavor and juiciness of those tomatoes.
- Toast the bread: One way you can keep the bread from getting too soggy from all the wet ingredients and juicy tomatoes is to toast up that bread. It dries it out a bit.
- Keep it simple: Don’t overdo this sandwich. It ain’t necessary. Keep the ingredients and flavors clean. Let the tomatoes do the talking.
- Cut with a Serrated Knife: This will help you cut through those thick tomatoes and bread without squashing and ruining your beauty of a sandwich.
- Spice it Up!
Ingredient Notes
- Tomatoes: If heirlooms aren’t around, grab early girl, beefsteak, roma or even black krim tomatoes. You can also switch in fried green tomatoes for a change of pace. Or if you want to lighten it up, use my air fried green tomatoes recipe.
- Bread: No sourdough? French bread, whole grain or ciabatta are great options. Just select something hearty since the tomatoes are so juicy and can drench the bread a bit. We don’t want a soggy sandwich boos.
- Aioli: Swap out the mayo for sour cream or greek yogurt. You will get some additional tang for extra flavor. Or use cajun remoulade.
Serving Suggestions
- Salad: Nothing is better than a sandwich and a salad combo y’all. Serve it up with this shrimp caesar salad, harvest fall salad, cornbread salad, potato salad or this cobb salad with shrimp.
- Soup: Serve this tomato sandwich recipe with a hearty vegetarian tortilla soup, carrot ginger soup or even a creamy potato soup.
- Fries: I love this sandwich served up with these sweet potato fries or even a more indulgent loaded fries recipe.
- Tomato it up! Go all in on the tomato love while they are in season with a full spread including this tomato soup, tomato tart and tomato basil soup.
Recipe Help
Heirlooms are grown seasonally rather than year-round, and their gorgeous appearance and wide range of shapes, colors, and sizes, make them quite unique. Heirloom tomatoes also have a much more robust and sweeter taste; they are generally in season from late Summer into early Fall, with local heirlooms popping up around late July.
Make sure you select tomatoes that have reached their full color. Give it a gentle squeeze. It should have a bit of firmness but not be rock hard. If its too mushy or soft, that’s a no no. If you notice a bunch of bruising or spots, you definitely want to avoid. Ripe tomatoes also feel a bit heavier too as opposed to unripe ones.
Tomatoes can make a sandwich pretty wet y’all. It’s because of all that juicy flavor. The aioli is going to help keep those tomatoes from wetting down that bread. Also toasting the bread is going to prevent the sogginess from developing too.
Honestly it’s best not to make ahead. If you want to save some time, just make the aioli and slice up the tomatoes ahead of time for quicker assembly.
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Perfection! No lettuce or bacon, but just luscious heirloom tomato slices with avocado!!! Yum! Thank you!
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it simple and elegant.
What a great sandwich! We’re growing our own tomatoes this year. I’m definitely going to make this with the first one!
This is my favorite meal in the summertime. Everything about this is perfect. Sometimes I add a little arugula. I love it.
This is my kind of sandwich!! I am so excited to give it a go today, thank you so much for sharing this recipe 🙂
Thisss is one of the million reasons I love tomato season. And why I stocked up on bacon at Costco. Thank you for another perfect way to enjoy heirlooms.
Oh my… this is such a good tomato sandwich recipe! The photos and tips are helpful, too. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks boo!
Oh I absolutely agree! A tomato sandwich is perfect for picnics and light outdoor meals. I cannot wait for our garden tomatoes to come in..this looks delish!
This is one of our favorite sandwiches and we just planted our tomatoes. I’ll be making these all summer. Thanks for sharing.