2 Amazing Ideas for Leftover Bagels
Don't let Sunday's bagels go stale on the counter. Try these ingenious recipes.
Cornish Hens with Bagel Stuffing
Any bread will work here, but this is an especially good way to use up leftover bagels. Pumpernickel or everything bagels are our favorite choices for this stuffing.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour, 10 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 2 day-old bagels, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 1/2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 small yellow onion, diced small
• 1 large celery stalk, diced small
• 1 cup thinly sliced button mushrooms (about 7)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/3 to 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or water)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 Cornish game hens (about 1 1/2 pounds each), rinsed and patted dry
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange bagel pieces in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and beginning to brown, 7 minutes, stirring halfway through. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add onion, celery, and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and mushrooms are golden, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in bread, thyme, and enough broth to moisten (stuffing should feel moist but not soggy). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix in egg.
2. Place hens in a roasting pan and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Fill cavity of each with stuffing; tie legs together and tuck wing tips underneath. Roast, covering any exposed stuffing with foil if it begins to overbrown, until hens are golden brown and juices run clear when pierced between breast and leg (an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a thigh, avoiding bone, should read 165 degrees), about 40 minutes. Tent hens with foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Plus: Why You Shouldn't Toss These Leftovers
Bagel Bread Pudding
For a chocolate version, substitute 3/4 pound bittersweet chocolate (either in small chips or chopped from a small block) for the prunes and raisins. Recipe courtesy of Russ and Daughters.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
• 3 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 or 5 day-old plain bagels (crusts removed), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (8 cups)
• Unsalted butter, for baking dish
• 1 1/4 cups halved pitted prunes (8 1/2 ounces)
• 3/4 cup seedless raisins (3 1/2 ounces)
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Directions
1. Whisk together eggs, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in half-and-half and milk. Add bagel cubes, and toss to coat. Let mixture sit, stirring occasionally, until bread absorbs some of the liquid, about 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish (2 inches deep). Stir prunes and raisins into bagel mixture, and transfer to dish. Bake until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour (if top browns too quickly, tent with foil). Let cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares, and serve with ice cream.
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