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Crispy Parmesan and Pesto Egg in a Bagel. A fun twist on the bagel sandwich, that might just be even more delicious. Crispy parmesan cheese, basil pesto, seeded bagels, and perfectly cooked sunny side up eggs. Serve yours up with avocado and herbs and you’ll have a great breakfast to enjoy any day of the week.
We have ourselves a breakfast recipe! And a really dang good one too. I’m not really sure why, but I almost never share savory breakfast recipes like this. It’s just plain silly of me because breakfast dishes are delicious.
I do the same thing with appetizers. I think it’s because more times than not, I’m usually cooking for a lot of people. They’re expecting dinner, not really a breakfast-for-dinner situation (though that is really delicious). So I most often make dinner recipes, which I, of course, then share here.
But today we have a nice switch-up…breakfast it is!
The details
Let me walk you through the layers of this bagel. There’s crispy parmesan cheese on the bottom (it’s like a delicious cheese cracker). Then a layer of basil pesto (I usually make mine spicy). Next comes the toasted bagel (I love to use sesame seed bagels). And then that delicious egg in the middle. Finish this off with an avocado herb salad.
My family likes to add hot sauce – to be expected, of course.
Start with the bagel. Try to use a bagel that has a good size hole in the middle. If it’s on the small side, just use your fingers to widen the hole a bit.
Now the cheese, sprinkle it onto a hot skillet. As the cheese hardens it becomes like a thin and crispy cracker. It is DELICIOUS! In fancy terms, this is called Frico. It’s often used in salads, which is also great.
Next, dollop some basil pesto over the cheese, then add the bagel. For the pesto, I like to use homemade. My mix is simply basil, arugula, toasted nuts, parmesan, and olive oil. Oh, and I like to add a jalapeño too. Then blend everything together in the food processor.
After you add the pesto, top with the bagel, then crack the egg into the bagel hole and let cook.
The herby avocado salad
I wanted to include some avocado in this dish. I just think avocados, eggs, and toast go hand-in-hand. You can’t have one without the other.
I use fresh herbs, diced avocado, lemon, and chili flakes. Serve on the side or overtop your bagel.
It’s the perfect breakfast bagel and, shockingly, a really quick and easy way to cook your eggs. The crispy cheese on the bottom adds a whole new layer of texture and flavor. The pesto adds brightness and gives you that perfectly runny yolk and toasted bagel combination.
It’s delicious. Great for the weekends, but easy enough to make during the week too.
Looking for other savory breakfast ideas? Here are my favorites:
Breakfast Quesadilla with Soft Scrambled Eggs and Avocado Salsa
Za’atar Eggs with Lemony Yogurt and Herbs
Lastly, if you make this Crispy Parmesan and Pesto Egg in a Bagel be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crispy Parmesan and Pesto Egg in a Bagel
Servings: 2 eggs
Calories Per Serving: 837 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 bagel, halved
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons basil pesto
- 2 eggs
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 cups arugula
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh dill
- juice from 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- chili flakes
Instructions
- 1. Make sure the bagel's hole is 3/4 inch wide. Use your fingers to pull the hole bigger, if needed. 2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the the top bagel half, cut side facing up, to one side of the skillet. To the other side, sprinkle 1/2 of the cheese in a circle the size of your bagel. Spoon 1/2 the pesto over the cheese. When the cheese melts, about 1 minute, flip the bagel, cut side facing down, onto the cheese. Crack 1 egg into the bagel hole. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, until the whites are set, but the yolk is still runny, 6 to 8 minutes, or to your preference. Repeat with the remaining bagel half. 3. In a bowl toss together the avocado, arugula, dill, lemon, sesame, chili flakes, and salt. Serve with the bagel.
Made this for dinner and added some peri peri sauce. YUM! Thanks for a quick and easy dinner for one!
Hi Sierra,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Just made it for the first time and it didn’t quite turn out how I had hoped. I carefully followed the recipe but ended up with burnt Parmesan and an overcooked egg. Still edible and mostly enjoyed. Maybe my stove was too hot, but I had it on medium heat or just a tad below. I think the recipe is solid but just a warning to watch the heat. I’ll for sure try it again!
Hey Christina,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear that it was burnt, I would probably turn the heat down next time and see if that helps! xTieghan
This was really really delicious and satisfying!
Hi Gretchen,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT
Made this for breakfast this morning, and it was amazing! My husband and I agreed it’s a new weekend staple.
Hey Heather,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT
Thank yo for the recipe!! Loved it! Made it in my sandwich press so the top would be toasty too. Perfect Sunday brunch.
Hey Anna,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT
I came for the great recipe, stayed for the comments.
My god the fact that people have enough time and energy to get THAT worked up over a FREE recipe online. SMH. also… even if you were confused, look at the pictures! Or ask for clarification nicely? Half baked harvest isn’t here to serve you – it’s a warm and friendly food-loving community!
Teighan I loved this recipe (ended up cooking the egg separately because I’m pregnant and sadly can’t do runny yolks) but please don’t let the trolls below deter you from doing more savory breakfasts. They’re my favorite!
Hey Tabitha,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks bunch for giving it a go! Thanks so much for your kind message and congrats on your little one on the way! xxTieghan
I’ve made this every day this week and LOVE it! As Victory and Zoe said…I played with different options to get the egg to cook and made it my own but my final version is exactly like the recipe. Just had to cook it on a little higher heat setting than I first did so the egg cooks. But when it didn’t cook in the beginning I just flipped it for the last few seconds.
Don’t skip the side salad. It adds so much flavor! I usually struggle to eat salad but when you cut this whole rush up and stir it into the salad it’s DIVINE! I feel so fancy! And it’s such a quick fix! Thank you!
Hi Mandy,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
Love this!!!!Have made it 3 times this week..I like to add spinach on top of pesto and sprinkle sofrito seasoning…
Thank you for the inspiration.. I do find it challenging getting the egg to cook sunnyside, so I usually flip it for a final cook or poach and top it off . Very luxurious
*dish. Not rush
Hey Victory,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
oh my god this comment section is insane you would think people have never touched a skillet before! Do whatever works best for you!! Look at the pictures!
I made this with toast instead of a bagel because I didn’t have any on hand and I don’t think I can ever eat eggs any other way again! So good. Thank you for the inspiration!
Hey Zoe,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! Lol thanks for being so real. xxT
Loved this recipe…just a note to watch the cook on the cheese, I let it get a dark but it still tasted great. Best thing? Only half a bagel lol. Thanks!
Hey Elizabeth,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Tieghans recipes are so good the only thing ones can complain about is wording… which made sense to me. This combo is simple yet so delicious it inspired me to make homemade bagels yesterday. Love the breakfast theme!
Forgot to add my rating.
Thanks again Kari!!
Hey Kari,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Thanks so much for your kind message. xTieghan
She rewrote it, now everyone can breathe, good heavens. It was not at all confusing before in my opinion, but sweet of her to take the time to update it for those who thought it was. This is super easy to make and SO delicious! I feel like easy, creative, savory breakfast recipes are so hard to come by, and this is absolutely perfect. Thank you, Tieghan!
Hey Kara,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Thanks so much for your kind message:) xTieghan
Please, please, please rewrite this recipe. I’ve read hundreds of recipes over the last 20+ years and never been so confused by one before.
Maybe if you used the term “one bagel half” as opposed to just “bagel” throughout your instructions it might make more sense.
Thx
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback Sierra, I will go back and review the recipe. xTieghan
YUMMM!!! Made this for the first time tonight and absolutely delicious. All of the ingredients were things I already had on hand and so it made for the perfect last minute dinner! thank you!!!!
Hey Alyssa,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Amazing. I love everything you make, but would LOVE to see more breakfast recipes- definitely my favorite meal of the day 🙂
Hi Grace,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Hello! I actually made this this morning since I had the ingredients on hand. I can’t really speak to the confusion of directions because I watched the video on your Instagram story before I went to the recipe. So I already understood the concept of it. However-for whatever reason, the egg in my bagel would NOT cook. Everything else did what it should, I cracked the egg in the hole, covered it and left it for close to 5min and nothing had happened. It was basically still a raw egg on top? I ended up just flipping it and letting the yolk bust and having a fried egg on the top of the bagel instead. It still turned out delicious but would have loved a runny egg!! Any advice?
Hey Nikki,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear about the egg! Did you cover your skillet? That should cook the egg for you. Let me know! xTieghan
Yes! I covered it, kept pan on medium and the egg just wouldn’t cook. I couldn’t figure it out for the life of me and I was afraid to leave it too much longer and burn the cheese on the bottom. I watched your video and it seemed to cook no problem! I’ll just have to try it again I suppose. I guess I can always just fry an egg on the side and lay it on top!
So weird! I wonder why that happened. Let me know if you try again, adding the lid should do the trick!
I had the same problem, I just flipped it but luckily the yolk didn’t bust. Im wondering if I used a too dense bagel and didn’t make the hole large enough. Im going to try a different bagel type next time.