Smashed Avocado Cream Cheese Veggie Bagels

Healthy, delicious & perfect anytime are these bagels topped with smashed everything bagel avocado cream cheese, chopped veggies & cheese!

So last week on my Facebook page, I did a “Show me your eats” post with regards to lunch or breakfast. Since Becca, my Assitant extraordinaire always posts the nightly dinner question I figured I’d ask about lunch and breakfast. I mean we almost all eat at least one of those meals so why not make those delicious as well?!

 

Well…

I was FLOORED I tell ya by the response y’all had over my bagel picture! To me, it was just a way to use up some leftover veggies and spread I had from a shoot. But you guys went crazy over it (and I absolutely LOVE you for it!!!).

Seriously, responses like that mean the world to me!

Okay so let’s get started!

Ingredients List

The list is pretty basic and truly easily customizable to your tastes.

• 4 bagels, sliced and toasted (if you prefer yours toasted)
• Minced veggies – I went with broccoli, cauliflower, and a trio of mini bell peppers
• Cheese – go with finely shredded cheese
• Prepared Smashed Avocado Everything Bagel Spread

I’ll list below substitutions and additional add-ins like I always do!

Let’s Make Deliciousness!

I have to admit, I’m almost a tad embarrassed in telling you that I ate this breakfast every day for the past week and am still going strong. It’s just SO GOOD! 

And what I love about this (other than it being crazy delicious) is that it’s totally customizable!

1. To each toasted bagel, spread on about 2 Tbl of the Smashed Avocado Everything Bagel Spread.

Obviously, you can add more or less per your liking! I’m a 3-4 Tbl portion person myself but that’s just me.

2. Next, sprinkle on the bell peppers, cauliflower, and broccoli.
3. Top with a sprinkling of cheese and then with clean hands (or the back of a spatula if you hate getting your hands dirty), gently press the cheese and veggies down into the spread.

Buy pressing it down a bit, it helps with the toppings to stay on the bagel when you bite into it.

Now if you didn’t want to add the cheese, you can totally omit it if you’re dairy-free.

Wait, what??? It has cream cheese in the Smashed Avocado Everything Bagel Spread! I know, crazy right? Per the USDA, “Foods made from milk that have little to no calcium, such as cream cheese, cream, and butter, are not part of the Dairy Group.“

You see cream cheese is made from milk fat and has little to no calcium. However, cream cheese is high in lactose which means if you’re lactose intolerant when you make the spread obviously omit the cream cheese, and on this recipe, skip the cheese topping. But check out the substitutions below for how to get that cheesy taste!

Time to eat!

I’d love to say that I only ate half of the bagel like this but I can’t lie. I ate both halves and was full for the entire day. But guys it was so worth it!

With the added freshness of the veggies, it felt “healthier”.

Making in advance

This recipe is part yes and part no to this question.

Toppings

The toppings, veggies, etc can all be prepared up to 4 days in advance and kept in an air-tight container.

Avocado Cream Cheese Spread

It’s best to prepare this right before serving only to help prevent oxidation. At most you could attempt to make it the day prior but you must make sure that the entire surface of the spread is covered in plastic wrap directly and kept in an air-tight container.

Bagels

Do people actually pre-toast them? I’m going to say no here, just toast them right before serving.

 

Substitutions

This is where you get to be creative and go with what you have on hand and also what you like.

• Bagels – If you aren’t a bagel fan you can do toast or crostini. Want it Low Carb/Keto-Friendly? Go with Zero Net Carb Bagels! They come in Plain and Everything!
• Veggies – Shaved Brussels Sprouts, minced shallots, jicama, sliced radishes, tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers – really the sky is the limit. I personally wouldn’t go with any roasted or warm veggies only because I like that crunch factor the fresh veggies add.
• Cheese – literally go with your favorite cheese that you can finely shred
• Avocado Cream Cheese Spread – so it has to have avocado in it BUT you do not have to add the cream cheese if you can’t handle lactose. To keep the cheese flavor just add some nutritional yeast to the spread and you’ll get that cheesy flavor!

Additional Toppings

I so love these sections in my post as I get to really show you guys how versatile my recipes are! In the section below I talk about a Bagel Bar and give you lots of topping ideas but here are some great combinations that would rock your plate!

These suggestions all start with the bagel and the spread. The rest is up to your imagination!

• Bacon & Eggs – add some scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese
• Fajita – thinly slice cooked flank steak and add the steak, some peppers, onions, cheese, and cilantro
• Spicy Chorizo – add cooked chorizo, tomatoes, bell peppers, cheese, and a drizzle of sour cream
• Taco – add taco seasoned ground meat, minced tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, cheese and finish with sour cream drizzle. For added crunch add some crushed tortillas
• California Club – add cooked, shredded chicken, peppers, broccoli, shredded carrots, and a drizzle of Baja cream sauce

Make it a Bagel Bar

If you’re looking for a way to kick up your next family meal, why not make this as a bagel bar for one of your meals!? And yes, this totally acceptable for dinner!

• Chop up all of your veggies
• Protein – crisp up and chop bacon, add cured salmon, sauteed chorizo, scrambled eggs, chopped sausage, shaved ham or turkey, or even some taco meat!
• Cheeses – I’m all about a variety of shredded cheeses like cheddar, Colby, hot pepper, swiss, mozzarella, or something funky like tomato pesto!
• Drizzles – Thinking little bottles of sriracha, hot sauce, chimichurri (think adding flank steak with cheese and tomatoes!), sour cream
• Crunchies – this is totally out of the box but if you were doing a Mexican fiesta topped bagel add some crushed tortilla chips!

The best thing about this idea is you don’t have to limit yourself to breakfast-type things. The base spread can be for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

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