The Unexpected Tool That Makes Bagel Breakfast Sandwiches Easier To Prep

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When it comes to breakfast sandwiches, a bagel just takes it to new levels, doesn't it? Maybe it's the way an egg perfectly fits inside the round shape or maybe it's the chewiness of the bagel contrasting with all the sauce and flavor. But if there's one thing that's true about breakfast bagels, at least any decent ones, they are messy. And prepping them at home? Well, that's even messier. Until you start using a donut pan, that is.

Yes, a donut pan, that little mold usually reserved for sweet treats, can actually help transform your breakfast bagel into something much easier to prepare and eat. A standard non-stick donut pan, like Bellemain's steel bakeware, is the perfect mold in which to bake eggs, creating little round eggy patties that will slot perfectly into a bagel (say goodbye to yolk dripping down your hand). Crack an egg into each well, scramble or leave whole, and bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes until it's cooked through. Get creative by adding in spinach, mushrooms, grated cheese, or something even more unusual, like kimchi. Because why not? The world is your breakfast bagel. Finish it all off with the this three ingredient breakfast sandwich sauce, and suddenly you're a morning person.

And it isn't just eggs, those little spherical wells are also perfectly sized to fit sausage rounds, veggie patties, or tofu. In fact, they'll bake anything you put in them into the perfect shape to later be popped onto a bagel, fully fuss-free. But there are a few tips to make sure it all goes smoothly. So first, don't overfill the wells, as eggs in particular will expand and puff up in the oven. And make sure you give even a non-stick donut pan a little spray with cooking oil to ensure everything pops out cleanly after baking. 

The thing with bagels is, they're an incredible food, but their slightly harder texture means overstuffing them results in hot fillings falling out the sides at every bite. This little trick gives the messier fillings a clean and uniform shape, so they stack together neatly, like little breakfast bricks. If you want to try baking your own bagels while you're at it, don't fall for the mistakes everyone makes baking bagels at home, but there's absolutely no shame if you'd rather grab a bag of fresh bagels from the store. Either way, you're participating in a long and delicious tradition. Because if you were wondering how the bagel became an American breakfast staple, let's just say it involved a lot of years, a lot of schmear, and a lot of New York City pride.