I love a good BLT. It’s a classic for a reason. Crispy, savory bacon, sweet juicy tomato, crunchy lettuce…it’s a chef’s kiss every time. Plus, it’s giving tomato girl summer. But as perfect as the classic BLT is, I’m always up to try a fresh spin on this sandwich. So, I was naturally excited when I saw that Meredith Hayden, AKA Wishbone Kitchen, had posted a BBLT recipe. That’s a basil BLT, BTW. I am a Wishbone Kitchen stan, and as always, Meredith’s recipe looks incredibly delicious. I can’t wait to try it.
I was also excited when, the next day, Mehreen Karim (@reeniekarim), posted her own delectable looking take on the BBLT. However, some salty Instagram commenters were *shocked* that Mehreen would dare post a basil BLT recipe when Meredith had just posted one.
Things to know:
First, these recipes are very different (at least to any discerning BLT lover). Meredith calls for adding whole fresh basil leaves to the sandwich, along with mayo and, somewhat controversially, mustard–which I will try because I trust Meredith, but I’m a little nervous about, NGL. Mehreen, on the other hand, blends basil and garlic into the mayo before adding it to the sandwich. Yes, both recipes suggest using pre-salted and patted dry tomatoes and a serrated knife, but that’s because (as any self-respecting BLT fanatic already knows) this is the only way. Both sandwiches sound delicious in their own right, but they are not the same at all.
Second, people have been making BLTs since at least 1900, and adding basil since…well, probably around that time, too. There are hundreds of basil BLT recipes to be found across the internet. Neither of these incredibly talented chefs invented the basil BLT, and neither of them claim to. They’re just offering their own unique takes on it.
Third, as Mehreen pointed out in her response, content creators usually plan this stuff days in advance. She wrote “Idk if y’all realize this but I, and meredith probably as well, record through the week and edit/publish days later. lots of people make similar foods and we just share our personal approach to them!” After (justifiably) losing a bit more of her patience, she added “LOL have you considered that I filmed and made this on Saturday and took days to edit/write it?”
This is so true and speaks to the fact that many people don’t realize how much work goes into content creation. It’s not just filming a video and posting, there are hours of planning, writing, and editing involved in each breezy little clip. The point is to make it look effortless, which is why it looks….well, effortless. Because these creators are so good at what they do.
Mehreen’s fellow Next Level Chef contestant Tineke Younger (@tiniyounger) also came to her defense, commenting “a bunch of ppl put herbs in mayo, it would be impossible to find the first person to have put an herb in mayo. She didn’t steal putting a herb in Mayo from anyone.” So true, and also, Meredith didn’t even put the herbs in the mayo, because the recipes were COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
Mehreen posted her fabulous recipe to TikTok and Instagram (but not Threads, sorry Zuck), and TikTok user Kat (@bxllona) hit the nail on the head with her comment, “@wishbonekitchen u have got to try this.” Exactly! I’m sure both creators would love to try each other's recipes, because they are quite different and both look delicious in their own right. Plus, they follow each other's Instagram and have expressed nothing but support and good vibes toward each other, as far as I can tell.
The plus side of this is that Meredith, Mehreen, and the BLT seem to be getting mostly positive attention from the whole fuss, which they deserve, and I get to talk about sandwiches. In conclusion, I’m just really craving a BLT right now.