homemade three cheese bagel bites
When I was but a wee lass, I DEVOURED bagel bites by the boxful. Who else here?
Truly, the pepperoni guys nabbed my heart, but since those meat-eating days are gone, I opted for a full-on cheese version. I begged for these whenever mom shopped during the week because at that age I knew nothing about nutrition – honestly, in the early 2000s, no one really did – and for lunches and snacks I subsisted on packaged lunch meats and the occasional bag of grapes. The latter hasn’t changed.
It stuns me, sometimes, that back in my childhood it was quite universal that very few were versed on the concepts of not eating like a trash bin and a steady diet of processed food is pretty awful for your body.
Thankfully, many of these old school faves are easy to create at home. Like bagel bites. Hallelujah.
These are so easy you’ll wonder why you blow money on the name brand version. Mini bagels, marinara sauce, three cheeses, and a bit of parsley for green.
Remember how bagel bites never really melted properly unless you zapped the living shit out of them and rendered the bread weirdly crisp yet rubbery? That isn’t an issue with these gems. The cheese spreads over the sauce and bubbles into a lightly golden gooey layer beneath the broiler. The perfect cheese pull awaits you.
Homemade Three Cheese Bagel Bites serve as a flawless summer appetizer for any safe gathering you might throw to celebrate warmer weather (if you celebrate that sort of thing. Yuck), a game night, a movie marathon, whatever. They’re fine finger food, eat up less than 30 minutes of your time, and easily multiply depending on how many mouths to which you must cater. Or how hungry the mouth/s are.
Serving suggestions?
How about The Ultimate Chips n’ Dip Party Board for constant nibbling?
Shake up some Rosemary Peach Bourbon Fizzes for a refreshing sip to cool off from a game of football or frisbee.
Finish with No Churn Vanilla Fudge Ice Cream for dessert. Start this the night before, then maybe have a chivalrous taste test straight before the main event to ensure the fudge level is correct.
Sounds like a fun time to me.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Ingredients
- 8 mini plain bagels
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese, cut into small cubes
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into small pieces
- parsley, to top
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet lightly with oil.
- Slice each mini bagel in half and set on baking sheet. Scoop about 1 tbsp marinara sauce atop each half. Top with a pinch of each type of cheese (about 1/2 tbsp each, but I just eyeball it) until all cheese is used up.
- Bake 10 minutes, then turn the broiler to high and cook 2-3 minutes more until cheese begins to brown. Serve garnished with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
