Other than vegetable cream cheese, scallion cream cheese is my spread of choice for bagels. Many years ago, back in my high school days, I would make the trek all the way to Bagel Boy in Sheepshead Bay just to get my hands on an onion bagel with scallion cream cheese. The onion bagel was my favorite. It just did not taste right slathered with regular cream cheese. Scallion cream cheese, on the other hand, seems to enhance the perfect onion flavor of the onion bagel. Besides Bagel Boy, there were many corner stores and delis that sold equally delicious crispy, chewy bagels. After moving to Ohio, I still miss (and crave) New York style bagels. I was especially craving bagels this morning and drove to Skip’s Bagel and Deli to pick up half a dozen of assorted bagels. I definitely included onion bagels in my assortment. Before I drove to pick up some bagels, I made a batch of scallion cream cheese and left it in the refrigerator to let all the flavors come together. Once I got home, I toasted an onion bagel and slathered on a thick layer of scallion cream cheese to enjoy as I watched some cooking shows on the Food Network channel. For me, this is the best Saturday morning breakfast.
Scallion Cream Cheese
· 4 ounces (½ stick) cream cheese
· 2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced
· 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
· 1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Directions:
1) In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, scallions, salt, and pepper. Let the cream cheese sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Takeaways: You can turn the scallion cream cheese into vegetable cream cheese by adding diced carrots, celery, red pepper, red onion, and/or any other crunchy vegetables you like.