Our breakfast friend in appetizer form.
Bagels are seen as one of the most common breakfast foods. You can put on butter, cream cheese, or any kind of variation of a breakfast sandwich.
But what about appetizers? Using bagels as appetizers is a food move that many may not jump to think of first hand. If you’re hosting any kind of party-whether it is a casual lunch outing or a more formal evening setting-you can use bagels to make bagel bites. Not the frozen kind that can be heated into a mini pizza! The crew over at Jack’s scoured for a few bagel bite recipes that are sure to be a hit at any party. Here are our top five:
BLT Bagel
Take a spin on the classic lunch sandwich and put it in bagel form.
Ingredients:
12 mini bagels, sliced in half, toasted
1/2 cup roasted tomato jam or sundried tomato pesto
1/2 cup arugula
6 slices bacon, chopped
Directions:
Place bagels cut side-up on a large serving plate. Spread bagels with 2/3 of the tomato jam or tomato pesto. Top with arugula, bacon and remaining 1/3 the tomato jam or tomato pesto. Serve.
Spicy Mexican Bagel
Spice up the party with this spicy Mexican bagel bite!
Ingredients:
12 mini bagels, sliced in half
1/2 cup chunky tomato salsa (mild, medium or hot)
1 avocado, pitted and sliced into small pieces
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp sliced fresh basil or cilantro
1/4 tsp chili flakes
Lime wedges, for serving
Directions:
Place bagels cut side-up on a large serving plate. Spread bagels with salsa. Top with a fan of avocado, dollop of sour cream, sprinkle of basil or cilantro and sprinkle of chili flakes. Serve with lime wedges for seasoning.
Cream Cheese & Lox Bagel
Take cream cheese to a whole new level, pairing it with its lox friend.
Ingredients:
Lemon Cream Cheese:
1 cup cream cheese, room temperature
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
Bagels & Toppings:
12 mini bagels, sliced in half
6 to 8 slices smoked salmon
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4cup capers
1/2 cup fresh dill
Directions:
Lemon Cream Cheese:
In a large bowl, stir cream cheese until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and lemon zest until combined.
Place bagels cut side-up on a large serving plate. Spread bagels with prepared lemon cream cheese. Top with smoked salmon, a few slices of red onion, 3 to 4 capers and a sprinkle of fresh dill. Serve.
Apple & Brie Bagel Bites
Two simple and classic ingredient popped into bagel bite form.
Ingredients
2 Plain Bagels, toasted
1 tablespoon of butter
1 wedge Brie cheese
1 Granny Smith apple
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
Split and toast two Mini Bagels until golden brown. Spread butter on each bagel half then slice in half again to create quarters. Slice the wedge of Brie cheese into eight equal portions and place one on each bagel quarter. Cut the apple into eight slices and place one slice on top of cheese. Sprinkle with cinnamon to taste.
Artichoke Bagel Bites
They'll steal your artichoke hearts.
Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, chopped
1 (2 1/4-ounce) can pitted sliced ripe olives, drained
5 (3/4-ounce) slices of Swiss Cheese, coarsely chopped
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
15 plain or egg mini bagels, split
Fresh basil and oregano leaves, if desired
Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F.
Combine all ingredients except bagels and basil in bowl.
Spread 2 tablespoons artichoke mixture over cut surface of each bagel half. Place onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake 9-12 minutes or until filling is hot and cheese is melted.
Cut each bagel half in half. Serve warm garnished with basil and oregano, if desired.
Don’t stop here, though. The world is your bagel palette. Experiment with different cheeses, fruits, and spreads! Your plain bagel and cream cheese days are a thing of the past.