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While it’s hard to compete with a classic bagel and cream cheese, leave it to TikTok to try. If the viral chopped bagel trend hasn’t hit your feed yet, allow us to introduce you. The concept takes inspiration from a chopped cheese: A classic New York deli sandwich that consists of a mixture of chopped seasoned ground beef, onions, and cheese that’s stuffed into a hero roll and topped with lettuce and tomatoes.
To make a chopped bagel, pile cream cheese and a bunch of add-ins onto a cutting board, coarsely chop it all together, and thickly spread the loaded schmear onto your favorite bagel. Think of it as the cream cheese cousin to Cold Stone Creamery, or a totally overloaded version of flavored cream cheese that can stand on its own, sandwiched between a bagel. Making a chopped bagel is not only cathartic but fun, allowing you to let your creativity run wild. Here are four recipes to get you started, but once you’ve gotten the concept down, feel free to play around and come up with your own cream cheese creations.
Bacon Cheddar Jalapeño Cream Cheese
1 (8-ounce) container cream cheese
5 slices cooked bacon
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup sliced pickled jalapeños
¼ cup crushed potato chips
Handful fresh cilantro leaves
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Spread the cream cheese out in a thick, even layer on a cutting board. Top with bacon, cheddar, jalapeños, potato chips, and cilantro. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Chop with a large chef’s knife, scraping the mixture up on top of itself into a mound as needed to evenly chop and combine.
Smoked Salmon Avocado Cream Cheese
1 (8-ounce) container cream cheese
1 (4-ounce) package sliced smoked salmon
Half an avocado, sliced
3 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons capers
Handful fresh dill fronds
Zest of 1 small lemon
1 teaspoon everything bagel seasoning
Spread the cream cheese out in a thick even layer on a cutting board. Top with salmon slices, avocado, scallions, capers, dill, and lemon zest. Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning. Chop with a large chef’s knife, scraping the mixture up on top of itself into a mound as needed to evenly chop and combine.
Pesto Veggie Cream Cheese
1 (8-ounce) container cream cheese
2 jarred roasted red peppers, patted dry
½ cup grated carrot
½ cup sliced cucumber
3 tablespoons marinated julienne-cut sun dried tomatoes, patted dry
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons pesto sauce
Spread the cream cheese out in a thick even layer on a cutting board. Top with roasted peppers, carrot, cucumber, sun dried tomatoes, and Parmesan. Drizzle with pesto. Chop with a large chef’s knife, scraping the mixture up on top of itself into a mound as needed to evenly chop and combine.
Cranberry Chocolate Walnut Cream Cheese
1 (8-ounce) container cream cheese
⅔ cup toasted walnuts
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped dark chocolate
¼ cup golden raisins
Zest of 1/2 small orange
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Spread the cream cheese out in a thick even layer on a cutting board. Sprinkle walnuts, dried cranberries, chocolate, raisins, orange zest, and cinnamon over the top. Drizzle with maple syrup. Chop with a large chef’s knife, scraping the mixture up on top of itself into a mound as needed to evenly chop and combine.
PHOTO CREDIT:
Photography: Paul Quitoriano
Food Styling: Lena Abraham
Prop Styling: Gerri Williams
Art Direction: Sarah Ceniceros Gomez
