Dinner Tonight! : THE LAST MINUTE / DINNER IN 10 MINUTES : Desperate Bacon Dinner

Here’s my favorite quick meal. It’s useful for company lunch or dinner at desperation time. I usually have cooked bacon on hand, which makes this really fast.

In a toaster oven, toast as many slices of your favorite bread as you’ll need to serve everyone. Cover the untoasted side with slices of tomato. Add a slice of cheese to cover and top each piece of bread with 2 strips of cooked bacon. Toast or broil each until the cheese melts.

Serve with a tossed salad and dessert of your choice. (Mine is a root beer float.) This covers most of the food groups and takes advantage of ripe tomatoes from the market--or your garden, if you’re lucky.

MARY MURRAY

Irvine

How do you get dinner on the table fast? We mean real fast. The rules: No more than one stop on the way home, no more than 10 minutes’ prep time. The rest is up to you. To share your idea, write to The Last Minute, Los Angeles Times Food Section, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. Or e-mail us at food@latimes.com.