Steeped in a rich history of culture, politics and ethnicity, a bagel is so much more than a hand-sized, par-boiled biscuit with a hole.  Originating in Poland, the round, hand-formed bread, if given a right to vote, would lean to the left and would certainly never have voted for you-know-who.

Bagels may no longer resemble the harder, more chewy version they started out as, but as they made their way to North America, they overtook the almighty doughnut in popularity (Tom has no idea why, as much as he loves bagels, he’d always have a doughnut given the option).

Although bagels share similarities to doughnuts, they are more serious in nature and certainly more versatile than their airy, sugary counterpart.

So rather than letting them take on the pizza (and losing that battle as Tom points out), this morning I opened my freezer, took out a bagel and decided to let it go Italian.

Toast a bagel, smear with spicy, pickled peppers, top with your favorite salami, scrambled egg and a final layer of cheese.  Heat and eat or serve!

 

Do you think one of those is for us?

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The Italian – a breakfast bagel

Saturday, Sunday, everyday brunch!  Let me introduce you to the Italian breakfast bagel.

Easy and quick enough to make before running out the door in the morning (especially if you cook the eggs the night before), this open-faced, hot, cheesy delicacy holds its’ own as a casual brunch whether you are binge watching movies or sipping a Bloody Mary with friends.

Toast a bagel, smear with spicy, pickled peppers, top with your favorite salami, scrambled egg and a final layer of cheese.  Heat and eat or serve!

Buon Gusto!

  • Author: Stacey Bender
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 minutes
  • Total Time: 14 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Category: breakfast/brunch
  • Cuisine: Italian, Jewish

Ingredients

Scale

1 Parmesan bagel (you could use plain or onion bagels alternately)

3 eggs

2 TB milk

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

1 TB sliced Mama Lil’s peppers (out of the jar, some of their oil will be there too)

4 thin slices Gusto brand Napoli salami (or salami of your choice)

2  slices Provolone cheese

Rosemary or oregano sprigs for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. If frozen, thaw the bagel and cut it in half.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. Whisk the eggs with the milk and slowly scramble in a little butter until light and fluffy.
  4. Finely chop the peppers in their oil.
  5. Toast the bagel and spread each cut side with 1/2 the chopped peppers.
  6. Top each half with the salami followed by half the eggs and then top with cheese.
  7. Put on a baking tin and cook for 4 minutes or until the cheese is melted and heated through.

Notes

I used three eggs but you could easily get away with two.  I scramble them without salt or pepper so I can set a little aside for the pups.  If you use really good eggs, you won’t even notice the absence but do add a little if you like.  I put the pepper on while I am assembling (Tom is a stickler for pepper on his eggs, but errs on the side of not adding salt).

You could switch up the peppers for sun-dried tomatoes or plain, roasted red bell peppers if you don’t need the spice (guess who wants spicy).

Many cheeses work here instead, especially the melting variety.  I actually used the extra-thin, pre-sliced white cheddar I can buy at Whole Foods, but provolone seems more Italian.  If you use extra thin slices, you can double them up.  The benefit to pre-sliced versus other is simply a matter of saving time.  Fresh mozzarella would also be delicious, in which case basil is a must.

The salami I used was approximately the same size as the bagel.

I put a sprig of rosemary on top while they were in the oven.  The sprig was then removed before eating but the heat imparted a soft flavor of herb without overpowering.  You could also sprinkle some chopped, dried oregano or fresh chopped rosemary over the peppers before adding the salami.

I tried one bagel with the salami on bottom and one bagel with a slice of salami on bottom, and a slice of salami under the cheese.  I prefer the former for the texture, but the latter showcases more of the meat.  You decide which you prefer.

Keywords: Brunch, Breakfast, Italian Bagel, Pizza Bagel

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