Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Place a large cooling rack on the foil-lined baking sheet.
- Arrange bacon slices in a single layer on the rack, making sure they don't overlap.
- Coat one side of each bacon slice evenly with Kinder's Brown Sugar Rub, using about 2 tbsp. of rub total.
- Bake until bacon is crisp and caramelized, about 20-25 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked bacon to paper towels to drain and cool slightly.
- Toast the bread slices until golden brown.
- Layer fresh green leaf lettuce and sliced tomato on one side of each toast slice.
- Arrange the crispy bacon generously over the vegetables on both toasted slices.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine BBQ sauce and ranch salad dressing and stir thoroughly until well blended.
- Spread the ranch BBQ sauce mixture on the other side of the toast and press together to create the sandwich, then slice diagonally and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Notes
- Use a cooling rack inside the baking sheet — heat circulates on all sides so both surfaces crisp evenly without flipping once.
- Pat tomato slices dry — press both sides with a paper towel before layering. Watery tomato softens toast fast; this keeps the sandwich tight through the last bite.
- Make the ranch BBQ sauce ahead — it keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and works on burgers, wings, and grilled vegetables. Make extra.
- Toast last, assemble immediately — bread that sits cools and softens. Build the sandwich while the toast is still hot.
- Cut diagonally and serve right away — the diagonal cut exposes the layers cleanly; immediate service means the toast is still doing its job.
- No Kinder's? — mix 1/4 cup brown sugar with 2 tsp chili powder for a close approximation of the sweet-heat profile.
- French fries are the natural match here — salty crunch against sweet-smoky bacon works every time. Thick-cut sweet potato fries land in the same territory with a bit more sweetness.
- For a lighter plate, a simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette cuts through the richness of the bacon and ranch BBQ sauce without fighting the sandwich.
- Serving a group? Cut each sandwich into quarters and arrange on a board with pickles and chips. No extra work, and it holds well for a casual spread.
- This sandwich is best eaten right after assembly. Once the sauce hits the toast, the bread softens quickly — there's no practical way to store it assembled.
- Leftover bacon keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes to restore the crisp. The microwave works in a pinch but softens the crust.
- The ranch BBQ sauce stores separately in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Toast bread fresh and assemble to order.