In New York, I rarely put anything on my bagels other than a smear of cream cheese. However, fillings are by no means frowned upon, and if you can't get those truly epic New York-style bagels, diverse fillings go a long way towards completing the experience.
Everything Bagel Egg and Cheese
Egg and cheese is a classic New York topping, and I think the everything bagel is the perfect vehicle for it. The crunchy mix of seeds and toppings contrasts nicely with the soft egg and cheese.
Everything Bagel Egg and Cheese
Fold a thin omelet around the cheese while the egg is still flexible, and you get a compact filling that won’t tumble out of the bagel as loose scrambled curds. Everything seasoning already brings salt and onion to the outside, so the egg only needs a measured pinch and a little scallion. American cheese melts quickly inside the fold without requiring another long stay in the pan. Toast the cut faces while leaving the seeded crust alone, because an everything bagel that’s crunchy all the way through is hard work to bite. This is the straightforward breakfast-counter combination I’d choose when I want the egg to be the main event.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the broiler and place bagel halves cut side up on a sheet pan. Toast for 1 to 2 minutes until just golden on the cut faces, watching closely, then set aside.
- Whisk eggs, milk, scallions, salt and pepper in a bowl. Divide cheese into four equal portions.
- Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Pour in one-quarter of the egg mixture and tilt the pan to make a thin even layer.
- Cook for about 2 minutes until mostly set, put one cheese portion in the center and fold the four sides of the egg inward to make a square. Turn carefully and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the egg reaches 160°F and the cheese melts.
- Slide the folded egg onto one bagel bottom. Repeat with the remaining butter, egg mixture and cheese to make four filled bagels.
- Close with the toasted tops, rest for 1 minute and cut in half with a serrated knife without pressing the egg flat.
Bacon Egg and Cheese Bagels
It might not be Kosher to add bacon, but it really does create a complete breakfast experience. Smoked Gouda matches the smokiness of the bacon, and a DIY tomato jam adds a sweet and savory component.
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Bacon Egg and Cheese Bagels
Make the bagel holes wide enough to hold the eggs before the skillet gets hot, because trimming a half-cooked sandwich is an awkward way to start breakfast. The egg cooks inside the lower bagel half, then bacon and smoked Gouda finish the filling above it. A quick tomato jam stays put much better than a slippery raw tomato slice. Cook the bacon while the jam reduces, and keep both ready before starting the egg-filled bagels so you can close the sandwiches while the cheese is still soft.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 400°F. Put bacon on a rimmed sheet pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until browned and crisp; drain on paper towels.
- Meanwhile, simmer tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring, until thick enough to hold a spoon trail.
- Enlarge the hole in each bottom bagel half to about 2 inches across with a small round cutter or knife, keeping the outer ring intact. Toast the cut faces of the top halves in a dry skillet for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Melt half the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Put two bottom bagel rings cut side down in the pan and crack one egg into each hole; cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the whites are mostly set.
- Turn carefully so the cut faces point up and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more until the eggs reach 160°F. Divide half the Gouda between the two bagels, cover for 30 seconds to melt and lift onto plates.
- Repeat with remaining butter, bottom rings, eggs and Gouda. Put two bacon slices on each cheese-topped bottom, spread the tomato jam over the four top halves and close the sandwiches.
- Rest for 1 minute before cutting; the egg should remain held in the bagel ring rather than sliding out as a separate fried egg.
Lox and Cream Cheese Bagels
Lox is about as classic a topping for bagels as you can imagine, and nothing goes better with lox and cream cheese than dill, with a pumpernickel bagel for maximum deli flavor. Finely chopping the lox ensures an equal amount in every bite.
Lox and Cream Cheese Bagels
Chop the lox finely enough that it spreads with the cream cheese instead of pulling out in one long slice when you bite the bagel. Celery and radish give the filling a small crunch, while dill and lemon zest keep it from tasting like plain salted fish stirred into dairy. Pumpernickel stands up well to this thick spread, but let its toasted faces cool before filling so the cream cheese stays firm. Keep the finished sandwiches cold until you’re ready to eat them.
Ingredients
Method
- Toast only the cut bagel faces under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, watching carefully, then cool completely on a rack.
- Beat cream cheese with yogurt in a bowl until smooth and spreadable. Stir in lemon zest, dill and pepper.
- Fold in chopped ready-to-eat lox, celery and radish, keeping the small fish pieces visible rather than blending them into a puree.
- Cover and refrigerate the filling for 20 minutes so it firms slightly. Divide evenly among the four cooled bagel bottoms, spreading close to the edges.
- Close with the tops and cut in half with a serrated knife. Serve cold, or refrigerate promptly in a covered container and use within 24 hours.
Turkey Club Bagels
A full meal in its own right, this turkey club bagel is centered on turkey breast and tomatoes roasted together, with a mustard mayo for bite and bacon for smoke. You can use whatever bagels you want, but I think the nutty flavors of whole wheat accentuate the fillings.
Turkey Club Bagels
Roast the turkey and tomatoes together, then give them time to chill before building the club. The tomatoes lose enough water in the oven to sit neatly against the lettuce, and thin slices cut across the rested turkey breast are easier to bite than a thick slab of meat. Crisp bacon supplies the familiar club flavor without needing a third bread layer inside an already substantial bagel. Spread the mustard mayonnaise over both cut faces so the first and last bites taste as complete as the middle. This is a good make-ahead filling, but assemble the bagels close to lunch so the lettuce keeps its snap.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F. Rub turkey with half the oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and place in a small roasting dish. Toss tomato halves with remaining oil and salt and put cut side up on a separate sheet pan.
- Roast turkey for 45 to 55 minutes until the center reaches 165°F. Roast tomatoes alongside for 40 to 50 minutes until softened and lightly browned, then rest turkey for 15 minutes.
- While the oven is still hot, lay bacon on a clean rimmed sheet pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until crisp. Drain on paper towels.
- Slice turkey thinly across the grain once cool enough to handle. Spread in a shallow container with a little collected roasting juice; refrigerate turkey and tomatoes promptly and chill for at least 1 hour, refrigerating within 2 hours of cooking.
- Toast bagel cut faces under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes and let cool. Stir mayonnaise with Dijon and spread over both cut faces.
- Layer the bottoms with dry romaine, thin turkey slices, two roasted tomato halves and two bacon slices each. Close the clubs, cut in half and keep refrigerated until serving.
Pepperoni Bagel Pizza Sandwiches
Despite their rather poor reputation as bachelor chow, pizza bagels are actually a rather fun alternative to normal pizza if made with good ingredients. The bagel texture isn't too different from focaccia, and these make great canapés too.
Pepperoni Bagel Pizza Sandwiches
Reduce the tomato sauce until a spoon leaves a clear trail, because a thin pizza sauce can soak into a bagel before the cheese has melted. Both halves get cheese, but the pepperoni stays on the bottom so you can close the sandwich cleanly after broiling. Keep the bagels close enough to the heat to melt the cheese quickly without leaving their rounded crusts in the oven for a long bake. Let the finished sandwich sit briefly before cutting, since the molten filling will otherwise slide toward the first opening you make.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook garlic for 30 seconds, add tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until thick, stirring frequently.
- Heat the broiler. Put bagel halves cut side up on a sheet pan and toast for 1 to 2 minutes until the cut faces are pale gold.
- Spread the reduced sauce evenly over the four bottom halves, leaving a small border. Add pepperoni, then cover with half the mozzarella.
- Divide remaining mozzarella over the four top halves. Broil all halves cut side up for 2 to 3 minutes, watching constantly, until cheese melts and begins to brown in small spots.
- Use a spatula to turn each cheese-covered top onto a filled bottom. Rest for 2 minutes, then cut each closed sandwich in half and serve while the cheese is soft.
Chicken Salad Bagels with Corn and Jalapeño
For a lighter chicken salad, this version uses yogurt, with some mayo added for richness. The roasted corn component reminds me of Mexican elotes, served out of the truck with mayo.
Chicken Salad Bagels with Corn and Jalapeño
Grill the chicken thighs whole, then chop them after a short rest so the salad gets little browned edges rather than pale threads of meat. Charred corn and pickled jalapeño bring sweetness and a little heat without needing a heavy spice blend in the dressing. Cool the cooked ingredients before folding them into the yogurt mixture, and chill the finished salad long enough to hold together on the bagel. A jalapeño-cheddar bagel makes sense with this filling, but keep the layers moderate so you can still close it without squeezing salad out of the sides. Dry lettuce underneath catches the occasional kernel while giving the creamy filling something crisp to sit against.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Rub chicken with half the oil, cumin and 1/4 teaspoon salt; brush corn with remaining oil.
- Grill chicken for 5 to 7 minutes per side until the thickest parts reach 165°F. Grill corn for 8 to 10 minutes, turning frequently, until lightly charred and tender.
- Rest chicken for 5 minutes, then cut into small cubes. Cut corn kernels from the cob and spread both cooked ingredients in a shallow container; cool for 10 minutes and refrigerate promptly.
- Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, jalapeños, lime juice, cilantro, scallions and remaining salt. Fold in the cooled chicken and corn and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Toast the cut bagel faces under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes and let cool. Put one dry lettuce leaf on each bottom and divide chicken salad evenly over the leaves.
- Close the sandwiches and cut in half. Serve cold or keep refrigerated in covered containers until lunch, assembling close to serving for the best texture.
Avocado Egg Bagels
Avocado and egg go great together, but they can often turn into mush. One way to remedy this situation is to make an egg salad, so the mush becomes an asset rather than a liability. A little toasting on the sesame bagel also goes a long way.
Avocado Egg Bagels
Grate the hard-boiled eggs coarsely and bind them with just enough yogurt and mustard to make a soft filling that stays where you spread it. Thick avocado slices underneath give you a separate buttery layer instead of turning the whole sandwich into one green mash, and a cooled toasted sesame bagel has enough grip to hold both without needing a pile of lettuce or a second spread.
Ingredients
Method
- Put eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, cover, remove from heat and stand for 11 minutes, then transfer to ice water for 5 minutes.
- Peel eggs and coarsely grate them into a bowl. Fold in yogurt, Dijon, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, salt and pepper without mashing the egg completely smooth.
- Toast only the cut faces of the sesame bagels under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes and cool on a rack.
- Halve and pit avocados, scoop out the flesh and cut into thick slices. Toss gently with the remaining teaspoon lemon juice.
- Divide avocado slices among bagel bottoms and spoon the egg mixture over them in an even layer. Close with the tops and cut in half, then serve promptly or refrigerate until eating.
Ham and Swiss Bagel Melts
For fans of sweet-meets-savory flavors, this bagel might be just the ticket. A cinnamon-raisin bagel provides some spice as well as sweetness, and a firm pear (an Asian pear works well here) adds texture.
Ham and Swiss Bagel Melts
A cinnamon-raisin bagel is a good match for salty ham when the filling has enough mustard to keep it from tasting like dessert. Sear the ham before assembly so the warm meat helps the Swiss melt instead of waiting for the broiler to heat a cold stack from the top down. Pear slices need only a short turn in butter to soften their edges. Keep them thin and overlap them in one layer, because a thick slippery pile makes the sandwich harder to close than the bagel’s chew already does. The raisin sweetness is built into the bread, so the spread only needs a small amount of honey.
Ingredients
Method
- Toast bagel cut faces under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly golden, then set aside. Stir Dijon and honey together and spread over the four top halves.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Sear ham in two batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side until lightly browned and heated through to 165°F, then transfer to a plate.
- Melt butter in the skillet, add pear slices and pepper and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning gently, until just softened with a few browned edges.
- Put one warm ham slice on each bagel bottom, divide pear slices evenly over the ham and cover with Swiss. Set the filled bottoms on a sheet pan.
- Broil for 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese melts, watching so the bagel edges don’t scorch. Close with the mustard-spread tops and rest for 1 minute before cutting.
Tuna Melt Bagels with Artichokes
With artichokes and roasted red peppers, this might be the classiest tuna melt you'll ever eat. An Asiago bagel adds additional complexity, but any kind of cheese bagel should work.
Tuna Melt Bagels with Artichokes
Drain the tuna and artichokes well before mixing, because their packing liquid is more likely to soften the bagel than improve the filling. Fontina melts smoothly around the fish, while chopped roasted pepper adds a little sweetness without becoming the main ingredient. An Asiago bagel brings enough extra cheese flavor that the tuna mixture only needs a few spoonfuls of mayonnaise to bind it.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 400°F. Toast the cut bagel faces under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, then return the oven to bake.
- Flake drained tuna into a bowl and fold in artichokes, roasted pepper, mayonnaise, lemon juice and black pepper. Keep the mixture chunky but evenly bound.
- Divide tuna mixture among the four bagel bottoms on a sheet pan. Cover with half the Fontina and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the filling reaches 165°F.
- Put remaining Fontina on the top halves and add them cut side up to the pan. Broil all halves for 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese on both sets melts.
- Turn the top halves over the filled bottoms, rest for 1 minute and cut the closed melts in half.
Chicken Sausage Breakfast Bagels
Chicken and apple sausage meat is actually pretty easy to whip up at home, and the mix of sage and fennel pairs well. Maple syrup adds just a touch of sweetness.
Chicken Sausage Breakfast Bagels
Mix the sausage gently and shape it wider than you think you’ll need, since the patties draw inward as they cook. Grated apple helps the chicken stay tender, but squeeze it first so the sausage mixture holds together in the skillet. Sage and a little fennel give the patties a breakfast-sausage flavor without relying on a store-bought link sliced into awkward rounds. The maple butter is a thin spread on the toasted bagel, not a sauce poured over the meat. This one doesn’t need an egg to feel like breakfast.
Ingredients
Method
- Gently mix ground chicken, squeezed grated apple, sage, fennel, salt and pepper in a bowl. Divide into four equal portions and shape into patties about 4 1/2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add patties without crowding and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side until browned and 165°F in the center, lowering heat if the outsides darken too quickly.
- Meanwhile, stir softened butter and maple syrup together until smooth. Toast only the cut bagel faces under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Spread the maple butter evenly over both cut faces of the warm bagels. Put one cooked chicken sausage patty on each bottom.
- Close with the tops, rest for 1 minute and cut in half. Keep the patties intact so their juices stay in the meat rather than soaking straight into the bread.
Veggie Hummus Bagels
If you're getting bored with the usual hummus and pita or hummus and toast, a bagel is a great way to mix things up. This recipe uses beet hummus, which is really worth trying, but any hummus will do.
Veggie Hummus Bagels
Roast the beet until a knife goes through it easily, then blend it completely into the chickpeas so the hummus spreads smoothly instead of dropping little beet cubes into the sandwich. The color will be strong even with one small beet, and lemon and tahini keep the flavor balanced against the raw vegetables. Dry the cucumber and radish slices before stacking them over the spread, because the bagel can handle a generous hummus layer better than a puddle of vegetable water.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 400°F. Wrap beet in foil, place on a small baking sheet and roast for 50 to 60 minutes until very tender; cool for 10 minutes, rub off the skin and cut into chunks.
- Blend beet, chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, oil, salt and measured cold water in a food processor for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down, until smooth.
- Toast the cut faces of the multigrain bagels under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes and let cool.
- Spread hummus evenly over both cut faces of all four bagels, using the full batch. Divide cucumber, radish and arugula among the bottoms in thin layers.
- Close the sandwiches and cut in half with a serrated knife. Serve promptly, or keep the vegetables and hummus refrigerated separately and assemble close to eating.
Roast Beef Bagels with White Bean Spread
This hearty bagel packs roast beef, white bean spread, and a rye bagel for a hearty Central European flavor profile. The quick-pickled red cabbage adds just the right amount of crunch and tang.
Roast Beef Bagels with White Bean Spread
Roasted garlic gives the white-bean spread enough depth to stand up to sliced roast beef without a layer of horseradish mayonnaise or melted cheddar. A small tangle of quickly pickled red cabbage adds crunch and acidity, but drain it well before putting it on the rye bagel so the purple pickling liquid doesn’t run through the bottom half as soon as you lift the sandwich.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 400°F. Slice the top from the garlic head to expose the cloves, drizzle with oil, wrap in foil and roast for 40 to 45 minutes until soft; cool for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toss cabbage with vinegar, sugar and its measured salt. Stand for 20 minutes, turning once, then drain thoroughly and squeeze lightly.
- Squeeze roasted garlic from the skins into a food processor. Add beans, yogurt, lemon juice, spread salt and pepper and blend until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Toast only the cut bagel faces under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes and let cool. Spread the garlic-bean mixture evenly over both cut faces.
- Fold roast beef loosely over the four bottoms and divide drained cabbage over it. Close with the tops, cut in half and serve cold, keeping unused sandwiches refrigerated.
Chopped BLT Bagels
A BLT can be tricky to keep together, so why not just integrate those components into the perfect bite? Bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo are integrated into a flavorful salad topping for this bagel.
Chopped BLT Bagels
Chop the bacon, lettuce and seeded tomato together before adding mayonnaise, and the BLT becomes a filling that reaches every part of the bagel instead of a stack of separate slippery layers. Cool the bacon completely first so its heat doesn’t wilt the lettuce. The tomato needs its wet seed pockets removed, but keep the firm flesh because that’s where the fresh flavor belongs. Mix only what you’ll eat soon, since chopped lettuce won’t stay crisp in dressing all afternoon. An everything bagel gives the outside plenty of seasoning, so taste the filling before thinking it needs anything beyond black pepper.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 400°F. Lay bacon on a rimmed sheet pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until crisp, then drain and cool completely.
- Toast only the bagel cut faces under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes and let cool on a rack.
- Put cooled bacon, dry chopped lettuce and seeded tomato cubes on a large clean cutting board. Chop together into small even pieces without turning the vegetables into a puree.
- Transfer to a bowl and fold in mayonnaise, Dijon and pepper just until coated. Divide the filling evenly among the four bagel bottoms.
- Close with the tops and cut in half, holding gently so the chopped filling stays inside. Serve immediately for the crispest lettuce.
Buffalo Chicken Bagels
Rather than wings, this Buffalo chicken bagel uses ground chicken shaped into a patty for deep-frying. And it wouldn't be Buffalo chicken without that tangy, spicy blend of butter and hot sauce.
Buffalo Chicken Bagels
Chill the shaped chicken patties before breading so they stay together when you lift them through the flour and egg. The crisp panko coating needs a short drain before the Buffalo sauce goes on; a heavily soaked crust loses the texture you just worked to make. Celery slaw cools the heat with a little yogurt and blue cheese, and it belongs inside the bagel rather than as a separate pile beside it. Keep the slaw thin enough to close the sandwich without pressing the chicken flat.
Ingredients
Method
- Gently mix ground chicken with mayonnaise, 1/4 cup panko, salt and pepper. Shape into four patties about 4 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick and refrigerate on a lined tray for 15 minutes.
- Mix shredded celery with yogurt, vinegar and blue cheese and refrigerate while cooking. Put flour, beaten egg and remaining 3/4 cup panko in three shallow bowls.
- Coat each chilled patty lightly in flour, then egg, then panko, pressing crumbs gently to adhere. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until a loose crumb sizzles steadily.
- Fry patties in two batches for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden and 165°F in the center, adjusting heat so the crust doesn’t burn. Drain briefly on a rack.
- Melt butter with hot sauce in a small saucepan over low heat. Brush the cooked patties on both sides with the sauce, dividing it evenly.
- Toast bagel cut faces under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. Put one Buffalo chicken patty on each bottom, add an even layer of celery slaw and close with the tops.
- Rest for 1 minute before cutting and serve while the coating is still crisp.
Mini Bagel Breakfast Sliders
Even mini-bagels can get the sandwich treatment. These breakfast-themed mini bagels with eggs, ham, Fontina, and roasted red peppers are a fresh spin on brunch.
Mini Bagel Breakfast Sliders
Bake the ham and roasted pepper into a thin egg layer, then fold the cut rectangles to fit the mini bagels. That keeps the filling in one piece when someone picks up a slider, instead of leaving loose pepper strips and ham cubes on the plate. Fontina melts between the warm folded eggs and bread during a short final bake. Two sliders make a useful breakfast portion, but the small size also makes them easy to put out for people eating at different times. Use actual mini bagels, because a full-size bagel cut into quarters won’t hold the filling the same way.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 350°F and butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Whisk eggs, milk and pepper, then stir in diced ham and dried roasted pepper.
- Pour into the dish and bake for 20 to 24 minutes until set and 165°F in the center. Rest for 5 minutes, then cut into eight rectangles, each about 2 by 4 inches.
- Meanwhile, toast the cut mini-bagel faces in a dry skillet for 1 to 2 minutes per batch, keeping the outside crust soft. Divide Fontina into eight equal portions.
- Fold each egg rectangle in half to make a 2-inch square and put on one mini-bagel bottom. Add one cheese portion and close with the top.
- Set all eight sliders in a baking dish, cover loosely with foil and bake at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese melts. Serve two per person, removing the foil before bringing the dish to the table.
Air Fryer Mushroom Bagel Melts
The air fryer can do wonders, but you still need to be careful with the filling here. Make sure to cook the mushrooms and spinach down until they're properly dry, and then stir in the creme fraiche.
Air Fryer Mushroom Bagel Melts
Cook the mushrooms until the pan looks dry before adding spinach, then let the greens lose their water too. An air fryer is good at warming a compact sandwich, but it won’t rescue a wet filling sealed inside a bagel. A spoonful of crème fraîche binds the vegetables without turning them into a loose cream sauce. Work in batches that fit comfortably in the basket and keep the heat moderate so the cheese melts before the rounded bagel crust becomes hard.
Ingredients
Method
- Spread the cut bagel faces thinly with the toasting butter. Toast cut side down in a large skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes per batch, then set aside.
- Heat oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and the released liquid has evaporated.
- Add garlic for 30 seconds, then spinach, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until spinach wilts and the pan looks dry; remove from heat and stir in crème fraîche.
- Divide half the provolone among the bagel bottoms, spoon over all the warm mushroom mixture and add remaining provolone. Close with the tops.
- Heat the air fryer to 350°F. Cook one or two sandwiches at a time, depending on basket size, in a single layer for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese melts and the center is hot, checking after 3 minutes to keep the crust from hardening.
- Repeat with the remaining sandwiches. Rest each for 1 minute before cutting so the vegetables stay tucked inside the melted cheese.
