Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel Mix Is The Most Versatile Seasoning In Our Kitchen

How do I put this... I love bagels but I don't love bagels. One of the great innovations of sandwich-construction is the lox-and-bagel—rich, smoky, briny, savory, melding luscious and crispy textures. But I've always taken issue with the bagel itself, mainly with its density. Downing one of these boiled bombs is like trying to bite into drying cement (which is why I prefer Montreal bagels). My workaround has been to use heavily toasted English muffins, which I slather on with cream cheese, layer with cold-smoked salmon, and top with capers and a squeeze of lemon.

Something, though, was missing. It was lacking those crunchy nubs of sesame, garlic chips, and dried onion bits that made an everything bagel, well, everything. And then I discovered Trader Joe's "Everything But The Bagel" sesame seasoning blend and life separated into before and after.

Everyday has brought new discoveries with this seasoning mix. My favorite non-bagel application is over scrambled eggs. We've sprinkled this on roasted carrots. And this makes an appealing chip dip when combined with sour cream.

Of course, Trader Joe's isn't the only grocer that makes this type of bagel seasoning—take your pick on Amazon. But we found ours at our local TJ's for $1.99 and it's become one of the best and most versatile investments in our kitchen.