Crispy Turkey Bacon Avocado Toast

Avocado toast gets a bad reputation as a fancy brunch thing, but it started as something much plainer. Once avocados were ripe and cheap enough to mash onto bread, people found that a soft, buttery fruit spread over toast made a meal feel finished. This version keeps that spirit. You get a warm, toasted slice, a layer of mashed avocado, and a little crispness from turkey bacon, all for two servings.

Here is one thing worth knowing about the avocado itself. It ripens after it's picked, and it will not get softer on the tree. Look for a fruit that gives slightly when you press the skin near the stem, with no sunken spots or dents. If yours is rock hard, leave it on the counter for a day or two. If it's already soft and you're not ready to eat it, put it in the fridge to slow things down. Once you cut it, a little lemon or lime juice over the exposed flesh helps keep it green for a while, and pressing plastic wrap right against the surface does more than any trick with the pit.

The turkey bacon is where a bit of patience pays off. Lean turkey bacon has less fat to render than pork, so it can go from chewy to scorched quickly. Keep the heat at medium, turn the slices once, and let them sit on paper towels for a minute after they come out. They firm up as they cool, which is exactly what you want under a spoonful of soft avocado. Plum tomato works well here because its flesh is firmer and less watery than a beefsteak, so the toast doesn't turn soggy while you eat it.

If you want to round out the plate, a soft egg on top turns this into something more filling, and a good egg is a natural partner for the avocado. Silky Herb Scrambled Eggs on Toast is a gentle way to go, and Poached Eggs with Spinach on English Muffins makes it feel like a weekend breakfast. For a lighter lunch alongside, a bowl of Creamy Avocado Cucumber Mint Dip with cut vegetables fits nicely.

Leftover avocado is the one thing that rarely lasts. If you only need half, keep the pit in the unused half and wrap it tightly, then use it within a day. Any leftover turkey bacon keeps in the fridge for a few days and is good crumbled over a salad or stirred into scrambled eggs the next morning.