Name: BLT Bar
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT1H0M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT13H40M0.000S
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 27 slices thick-cut bacon; 24 leaves green leaf lettuce; 12 deli slices sharp Cheddar; 3 large red onions, thinly sliced; 27 slices cooked thick-cut maple bacon; 24 slices soft white sandwich bread; Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad, recipe follows; Homemade Mayonnaise, recipe follows; Quick Pickles, recipes follows; Ketchup; 8 cups 1 1/4-inch chunks red and yellow heirloom tomatoes; 4 cups 1 1/4-inch chunks seedless watermelon; 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 tablespoon honey; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 1/2 cups feta, cut into 1/2-inch chunks; 1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves; 4 large egg yolks; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 2 cups vegetable oil; Juice of 2 lemons; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; Pinch freshly ground black pepper; 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1 tablespoon celery seeds; 1 tablespoon coriander seeds; 1 tablespoon mustard seeds

Directions

Special equipment:

a wide-mouth quart size Mason jar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Put wire racks into 2 sheet pans, then put the slices of regular bacon on top. Roast until crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and let cool.
Pack up the lettuce, Cheddar and onions in a foil container. Pack up the two kinds of bacon in a separate foil container. Pack up the bread in a separate foil container.
Set out containers and let everyone make their own sandwiches. Serve with the salad, mayo, pickles and ketchup.

Garnish:

Put the tomato and watermelon chunks in a bowl.
For the honey vinaigrette: Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and honey in a bowl, then add salt and pepper to taste.
Drizzle vinaigrette over the tomatoes and watermelon, then toss. Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle over the feta and basil.

Homemade Mayo:

Yield: 2 1/2 cups

Add egg yolks and mustard to a bowl and whisk to combine. Blend in a circular motion with an immersion blender and slowly add the oil, taking care for the first 30 seconds to avoid splitting.
Add the rest of the oil until you have a thick, glossy mayonnaise. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper, then blend a little more and serve.

Quick Pickles:

Yield: 1 quart

Combine the vinegar, sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, seeds and dill with 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.
Toss together the cucumber, jalapeño if using and onion, then transfer them to a wide-mouth quart size Mason jar. Carefully pour over the warm vinegar mixture.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 7 days.