30 Bagel Toppings: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacktime

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Do you love bagels? Mmmm, warm, crunchy bread with soft doughy centers. It's hard to go wrong with these delicious, breakfast and snack-time circles of joy. The only thing better than a bagel is a bagel topped with something tasty. In fact, I never eat a bagel plain, even a flavored one. I always put either cream cheese, peanut butter, or at the very least butter, on mine.

a basket of bagels and a sliced one on a plate

How to Perfectly Toast Your Bagel

Be sure to cut the bagel in half at its crease. I have a friend who started a small fire by putting an entire bagel into one slot of the toaster.
I have found that bagels hold their toppings best when the bagel is not toasted too dark. Set the toaster's knob to a lower setting, a little below the middle point. This may mean you'll have to toast the bagel twice, but the extra time to toast the bagel perfectly will be worth it.
The bagel should come out a light golden brown on the inside, and its outside should be slightly crunchy. This will make it easy to spread butter and toppings as they will gently melt into the bagel's crevices.

A smear of flavored yogurt on a wheat bagel makes a healthy snack or way to start the day.

Simple Topping Ideas


Butter or Margarine	One of the simplest and most delicious ways to enjoy a toasted bagel.
Cream Cheese	The classic. For ideas about how to flavor your cream cheese, see below.
Peanut Butter	I spread peanut butter on a wheat bagel every morning for breakfast.
Jam or Jelly	Delicious alone or combined with peanut butter or cream cheese.
Apple Butter	Works on its own because it is so creamy and smooth.
Marshmallow Fluff	Delicious on a not-too-sweet bagel, like plain or whole wheat.
Cinnamon Sugar	Toast and spread with butter or cream cheese first. Then sprinkle with one part cinnamon to two parts sugar.
Nutella	Spreadable chocolate-hazelnut mixture.

Combine honey, cinnamon, and cream cheese for a delicious topping on a toasted bagel.

How to Make Flavored Cream Cheese


Flavor	Mix in With Cream Cheese
Veggie	Finely chopped onion, cucumber, carrot, and herb.
Honey-Cinnamon	A spoonful of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Northwoods Blue Cheese	A few crumbles of blue cheese.
Strawberry	Pureed or mashed strawberries.
Garlic Herb	Garlic powder or minced garlic and dried herbs.
Honey Orange	A spoonful of honey and a splash of orange juice.
Ham	Finely chopped ham.
Tropical	Pureed or mashed mango, pineapple, and papaya.

Scrambled egg with ham or bacon on a toasted bagel.

Simply place a piece of cheese on a bagel and toast in a toaster oven.

Breakfast Bagel Toppings


Eggs	Scrambled, fried, or poached.
Egg and Cheese	Add a slice of cheese and make a bagel sandwich.
Egg, Cheese, and Bacon	Add four pieces of cooked bacon to your breakfast sandwich.
Egg, Cheese, and Sausage	Add one cooked sausage patty.
Egg, Cheese, and Ham	Cook one slice of ham and add to your breakfast bagel.

A bagel toasted with slices of turkey and cheese makes a delicious lunch, or even dinner!

A pizza bagel with sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni sausage.

Lunch and Dinner Bagel Ideas


Pizza	Spread each half bagel with pizza sauce. Layer mozzarella cheese and pepperoni sausage on top. Toast in oven for ten minutes.
Tuna Melt	Mix tuna and mayonnnaise and spread on each bagel half. Layer a tomato slice and cheese on each half. Toast in over for about ten minutes.
Meatball Sandwich	Cook frozen or fresh meatballs and cut into thin slices. Spread each bagel half with spaghetti sauce and layer slices of meatball. Top with mozzarella cheese and toast in oven for ten minutes.
Toasted Turkey Melt	Layer each bagel half with sliced turkey and cheese. Toast in oven for about ten minutes.
Ham & Cheese Melt	Layer each bagel half with sliced ham and cheese
Cream Cheese and Cucumbers	Delicious on an onion bagel! The cucumbers add a nice crunch.