Long Island is known for its bagels. You can find any flavor on the planet in almost every local bagel shop (which we have, like three in every town). Even with all the wild and crazy bagel flavors we have swirling around not just Long Island, but all over the world, there are some mainstays that never go out of style:

• Plain
• Egg
• Everything
• Egg Everything
• Garlic
• Cinnamon Raisin

As amazing as bagels are, no one other than my son enjoys them without something in them or on them, right? Well, sometimes a cinnamon raisin can hit the spot without any kind of spread or ingredients. But, really, why deprive yourself of adding tasty goodness to your dozen bagels every Sunday morning.

What’s the best thing to put on each of your favorite bagel flavors?

Now, you may not head out on Sunday mornings to grab your brown bag of a dozen bagels. Perhaps you’re more of a random weekday breakfast, or lunch bagel (because most bagel shops close before you can even think about one for dinner). Either way, let’s see what goes the best with our favorite bagel flavors, shall we?

Everything or Egg Everything Bagels

My personal favorite bagel is the Everything, or Egg Everything. It’s got all the best coating it’s crispy exterior. Personally, for me, keeping the spreads savory work best for my tastebuds. If I’m making a sandwich out of it, I like to keep it savory, too.

• Bacon, egg and cheese. It’s a Long Island (and New York) staple – we call them a BEC on a bagel (because sometimes we get them on a roll, sometimes we get them on a bagel).
• Egg & Avocado. (The recipe calls for multigrain bagel, but you can use any flavor your heart desires.)
• Fancy flavored cream cheeses like Scallion, Herb & Garlic, and Chive.
• Good old plain cream cheese.
• Always a fan favorite: Butter
• Tuna Salad or Egg Salad.
• Burger (Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Pork)

Plain

Mostly, Plain is a bit of a blank canvas, because it’s the perfect canvas for any kind of spread or sandwich filling. Whatever your stomach craves, you can put on or in a bagel.

• Bacon, egg and cheese.
• Egg & Avocado.
• Fancy flavored cream cheeses like Herb & Garlic, Scallion, Cinnamon, Pumpkin, Strawberry, Blueberry, Honey Walnut, Chive, Apple Butter, Cinnamon Honey and Peach.
• Lox and plain cream cheese.
• Always a fan favorite: Butter
• Nutella, or some other kind of nut spread.
• Blueberry goat cheese.
• Tuna or Egg Salad.
• Burger (Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Pork)

Egg

It’s a bit like a Plain, with a little extra something. Again, the perfect starter to build yourself the perfect breakfast, lunch, or even dinner if you have some leftover in the house after Sunday’s big dozen haul!

• Bacon, egg and cheese.
• Egg & Avocado.
• Fancy flavored cream cheeses like Herb & Garlic, Scallion, Strawberry, Blueberry, Honey Walnut, Chive, Apple Butter, Cinnamon Honey, and Peach.
• Lox and plain cream cheese
• Always a fan favorite: Butter
• Nutella, or some other kind of nut spread.
• Tuna or Egg Salad.
• Blueberry goat cheese.
• Burger (Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Pork)

Garlic

If I can’t get an Everything, or Egg Everything, my next choice would be Garlic. It works with savory spreads and sandwich ingredients, but it also works with certain sweet stuff, too. For some reason, if you can get your hands on more gamier spreadable cheeses and toppings, it works!

• Bacon, egg and cheese.
• Egg & Avocado.
• Fancy flavored cream cheeses like Herb & Garlic (because you can never have too much garlic), and Chive.
• Good old plain cream cheese
• Always a fan favorite: Butter
• Tuna or Egg Salad.
• Blueberry goat cheese.
• Burger (Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Pork)

Cinnamon Raisin

Surprisingly, Cinnamon Raisin is one of the top bagel flavors New Yorkers love and can’t get enough of. It’s my least favorite…well, maybe not my least favorite (have you had a wheat bagel?) but, once in a while I don’t mind grabbing one and slapping some honey cinnamon butter on it. But there’s plenty of other non-savory spreads for this popular flavor.

• Fancy flavored cream cheeses like Cinnamon, Pumpkin, Honey Walnut, Apple Butter, Blueberry, Cinnamon Honey, and Peach.
• Good old plain cream cheese
• Always a fan favorite: Butter
• Blueberry goat cheese.
• Nutella, or some other kind of nut spread.

Bagels have become a staple in more than just New York. People can buy them in the frozen food sections of grocery stores, as well as the bread aisle. I’ve even bought, packaged, and shipped them to family members who moved off of Long Island and could never find quality bagels, and a wide enough variety of bagel flavors. However you procure yours, make sure you enjoy as many as you can on National Bagel Day (and, make it a Sunday morning breakfast tradition).

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