This Trader Joe's Seasoning Blend Is The Shortcut Busy Cooks Keep Reaching For

Trader Joe's is known for its playful, standalone products. Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend is just one of the grocer's popular spice blends that deserve a spot in your kitchen. The original seasoning concept popped up sometime between the 1970s and 1980s in NYC, and it has appeared on bagels for decades since. Trader Joe's didn't discover the first "everything" bagel seasoning, but it did transform its everyday use. When this grocer released a spice jar version back in 2017, it created a brand new pantry essential.

The distinct blend includes white and black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, salt, garlic, and onion powder. It offers an umami boost to any dish — with nutty, salty notes that complement various cuisines and flavors. Considering the sheer variety of ingredients in this seasoning, it would be time-consuming to add each element to your meals as you cooked. But in a blended spice jar, all these distinct flavors can be quickly and easily added at once. This is partly why "everything" seasoning is a useful blend for busy home cooks. 

Capitalizing on this product's success, Trader Joe's offers several "everything" themed items. Across its shelves, you'll find mixed nuts, crackers, and even smoked salmon doused in this seasoning. But if you don't have a store near you, you can recreate Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel seasoning at home. Regardless of how you use it, it can be added to everything — homemade bread dough, avocado toast, compound butter, or a rim on your next bloody mary.

This seasoning is highly praised, considered both delicious and versatile. This spice blend is great at giving simple dishes a nuanced twist in one shake. It can be sprinkled over your eggs or mixed into an omelet for breakfast. It's also a great way to add dynamic flavor to dishes with many ingredients, such as savory pancakes, or serve as the final touch on a breakfast bagel casserole. "Everything" seasoning is the final touch to a tray bake of bagel pieces, cheese, eggs, bacon, and fresh veggies.

Toasty, slightly aromatic notes in this blend pair beautifully with meals more common at lunch and dinner as well. This seasoning option is a nice addition to homemade mac and cheese. But it can also easily upgrade a boxed variety if you're pressed for time. Just mix it in with the cheese sauce and sprinkle on top for a slight crunch and delicate roasted flavor. You could also give tuna salad more character with Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel seasoning. 

Try this blend in "everything" but the bagel themed pasta dishes. Featuring ingredients like cream cheese, fresh chives, and lemon juice — your dish may be complete with a dash of the seasoning on top. Though there are many less literal ways to add this ingredient. Add it to pesto dishes, chopped salads, or the filling of any cold cut sandwich. Clearly, this blend from Trader Joe's offers noteworthy flavor, without requiring you to grab a million spices at once.