Dig deep — really deep — into the back of your freezer. Way down behind the frozen boxes of spinach that were on sale, the ice cube trays, last summer’s less-than-appealing sugar-free popsicles — yeah, there — I’m guessing you might find an old forgotten package of bagels. Break them out.
Or go shelf-pointing at your favorite fresh bagel shop. In fact, for really great variety, let the kids choose their favorite flavor of bagel (any will work) before slicing them up. We’re going to make a simple, healthy snacking alternative to potato chips.
Bagel chips are extremely versatile and full of flavor. They’re sturdier than regular chips and are capable of digging deeper into your dip of choice without cracking to bits.
Bagel chips are great for lunch boxes, after-school snacks, TV watching, trail-hiking rest stops, pre-game pick-me-ups, or just about anytime you want to offer a healthier, more flavorful alternative to the old everyday, oily, fried snacks.
Bagel Chips
Ingredients
- 3 bagels (thawed or fresh), flavor of your choice
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, dried basil, garlic powder, and paprika. Set aside.
- Set bagel on a cutting board and, using a sharp, serrated knife, cut the bagel vertically into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Repeat with all the bagels.
- Lightly brush the bagel slices with the olive oil mixture.
- Arrange the brushed slices onto a non-stick baking pan. Place the pan on a rack in the middle position of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the bagel chips from the oven and place them on a cooling rack. They’ll crisp up as they cool.
- Store in an airtight container.
Variations
The rest is now up to you. Dip these chips in cream cheese or salsa. Top them with cheese slices, pepperoni, maybe cucumbers.
Or get really adventurous. Make the olive oil glazing of your choice. Add extra garlic powder and some oregano, then top with a spooning of tomato sauce.
You could even skip the salt, pepper, garlic, and basil in the glaze and substitute cinnamon and sugar. Then top the bagels with chocolate chips while they’re still hot.
Possibilities are limitless, and variations will keep this kid-friendly snack from getting boring.
