Smoked Turkey Bagel

This little bagel sandwich situation is pretty much everything I’ve ever wanted out of a (non bacon, egg, and cheese) bagel sandwich. We have an herbaceous cream cheese spread. We have crispy fresh veggies. We have just a kiss of smoked deli lunchmeat. And we finish it all off with pops of salty little capers.

Does that sound like a dream, or what?

Let’s talk bagels for a second. I love a bagel for sure, but let’s be honest. Bagels can be overwhelming. The amount of bread in one bagel is generous, to say the least. And then if you want to load stuff up on top or inside of the bagel for a sammie, you basically have to dislocate your jaw for everything to fit at once. No. Thank. YOU. So for this sammie, we’re using mini everything bagels! It’s everything we love about a bagel in a miniature, approachable size. Now if you can’t find mini bagels, of course you can use a regular sized bagel. But, your jaws will thank you if you do find them.

Next, we need a schmear. You guys know how I feel about whipped cream cheese. It’s top tier excellence in the cream cheese world in my opinion. So, that’s what we’re starting with. We’re going to add a little extra pizazz to the cream cheese by mixing in some fresh chopped dill and some garlic powder. That’s it! Mix her up, spread a healthy layer all over our toasted bagels. And, it’s time to top our sandwiches.

We’re making these open faced sammies, so we’re going to stack up both halves of our bagel. We need some thinly sliced cucumber, thinly sliced tomato, thinly sliced red onion, and some capers to finish it off. We’re going for the same vibes as those smoked salmon sandwiches. But for this sandwich, we’re going to ditch the seafood and use some smoked deli turkey instead.

My biggest issue with smoked salmon is the texture. But having recently had it again, that sucker is salty too! And I like salt, but it was just too much for me. So when I was thinking of what kind of protein would work in the exact same environment, smoked deli turkey seemed like the best answer. It can be thinly sliced. The flavor is nice and mild with just a kiss of smoke. And, it’s easily accessible at a fairly inexpensive price point. It was the perfect solution.

Once we have everything piled high on our bagels, we can finish them off with a pinch of black pepper and another sprinkling of dill; and it’s time to eat.

These bagel sammies are everything I always dreamed they would be. They’re crisp, and fresh, and light, and savory, and comforting, and colorful, and just everything! Literally...(cause they’re on everything bagels…get it?) And, I love that this opens the door up for people that can’t or won’t eat smoked salmon like me. Now, everyone can join the party! And honestly, the turkey is just a formality. I love these just as much with no meat at all if you’re looking for a veggie option too.

Alrighty, then! That’s all we’ve got for today.

Until next time…let’s eat!