Were your bagel eyes bigger than your stomach? Before you toss those tough and overly chewy stale bagels, try repurposing them with one of our recipes below.
Pizza Bagels
This is a great weeknight dinner option–hot, melty pizza bagels come together in a pinch! Cut a bagel in half and spread your favorite tomato sauce or pesto on top, along with some cheese (goat cheese and/or mozzarella work well), and za’atar. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is soft and melty.
Bagel Chips
Any flavor of bagel will do, particularly savory flavors like pumpernickel and everything bagels. You could slice the bagel length-wise into thin pieces (above) or you can cut the bagel into potato-chip sized rounds (like the ones below). Then toss the bagel slices in a bowl with olive oil (use about 1/2-1 Tbsp of olive oil per bagel you used). Add 1 Tbsp of za’atar and a sprinkling of sea salt, toss to coat, and arrange on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Here’s a great recipe for onion and garlic bagel chips.
Bagel Bread Crumbs
These will stay good for up to one month. Just tear 2 bagel halves into 1″ chunks, blitz into crumb-sized pieces in the food processor, and bake with olive oil at 350 until browned and dry. You can add different herbs and spices depending on what you like. Use this recipe from Bon Appetit as your guide to bagel crumbs.
Bagel Strata and Fritatta
Stratas and frittatas are savory egg dishes that can accommodate a variety of delicious add-ins ranging from vegetables to mushrooms to meats. Here’s a collection of creative and filling dishes to try:
Everything Bagel Strata from Yes to Yolks
Bagel, Lox and Cream Cheese Strata from Food 52
Bagel and Lox Frittata from The Hungry Musician
Bagel Bread Puddings & Stuffing
Bagel Pudding with Prunes and Raisins from Russ & Daughters via Martha Stewart
Cinnamon Raisin Bagel French Toast Pudding from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice
Everything Bagel Stuffing from The Kitchn
Bagel Croutons & Salads
Everything Bagel Croutons from The Kitchn (calls for plain bagels)
Warm Bread Salad with Smoked Salmon, Roasted Vegetables and Creamy Dill Dressing from Food 52 (replace bread with bagels)
Wheat Bagel Panzanella with Heirloom Tomatoes from The Asylum
