It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the 90s -- the decade of Bagel Bites, aka mini-bagel pizzas. They were the trendy after school snack of the era. For the most part, I emerged from this unscathed, meaning: I escaped the worst of it -- my kids were in their 20s by 1996. That said, I remember these freezer-to-toaster-oven treats for one reason: the uber-annoying theme song of the Bagel Bites commercials -- "Pizza in the morning, pizza in the evening, pizza at suppertime. When pizza is on a bagel, you can eat pizza anytime!".
Bagel Bites were/are not rocket science food. They begin on a split mini-bagel. The halves get topped with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and sometimes, another topping or two -- pepperoni was what most kids liked best. Straight from the box, they got placed (while frozen) on a small baking sheet, then baked in the toaster oven (a manageable task for 10-14 year olds) until molten hot -- kids gobbled them up faster than mothers could buy them. And, as any mother who knew how to cook will tell you, back then, we could not purchase mini-bagels or we happily would have made mini-bagel pizzas in our own kitchens -- we knew we could have made them MUCH better, and twice as many, for a third the price, with our hands tied behind our apronless backs. Why not just make them on standard-sized bagel? Simply stated: they're not as much fun.
While no one agrees on who made or sold the first pizza bagel, in 1985, Stanley Garcaynski and Bob Mosher invented Bagel Bites using custom-made mini-bagels -- they adapted the recipe from the back of a package of Lender's bagels. They began by marketing their edible pub-grub invention to local restaurants, bars and hotels, and, after almost instant success, they sold the company and brand name "Bagel Bites" to Heinz (owner of Ore-Ida) in 1991.
No fancy high-end ingredients -- keep 'em simple & enjoy:
Mini-bagels & mini-pepperoni = kid-approved bagel bites:
mini bagels, your favorite brand
pizza sauce, your favorite brand
fine-grated Parmesan cheese, the "stuff" in shaker-jar, your favorite brand
pre-shredded mozzarella cheese, your favorite brand*
mini-pepperoni, your favorite brand
* Tip from Mel prior to starting: Pre-shredded mozzarella cheese is one of my favorite time-saving ingredients. That said, when scattering it "as is" onto mini-bagels (or small-sized anything else), its size is rather large in comparison to the subject at hand. For that reason, I like to use a serrated knife and a light touch to briefly saw through it, to make the pieces smaller. In turn, you get more cheese on each piece and less waste, aka, the cheese stays on top of bagels rather than dripping down their sides, which makes a pretty presentation.
~Step 1. Depending on how many bagel bites you want to make, on an appropriately-sized baking sheet, arrange the split mini-bagel halves side-by-side. Spread about 1 tablespoon pizza sauce evenly across the surface of each bagel half -- do not be inclined to use too much sauce or the bagels will get soggy. Lightly-sprinkle the surface of all the bagels with the Parmesan -- simply shake the can over the entire pan. Next, on goes a scattering of 1 1/2-2 tablespoons mozzarella per bagel half. Lastly, place 6-8 pieces mini-pepperoni atop each one.
Bake in 375° oven 8-10 minutes & serve immediately:
Bagel Bites Mini-Bagel Mini-Pepperoni Snack Pizza: Recipe yields instructions to make as many bagel bites as you want to make.
Special Equipment List: serrated bread knife; appropriately-sized baking sheet (toaster-oven or conventional-oven sized; tablespoon
Cook's Note: The pita pocket is a great foil for quick-to-make snack pizza too. These take less than 10 minutes to assemble and everyone just loves my ~ Tomato-Basil Pita Pizza: My Personal Favorite Snack Pizza ~. Give 'em a try!
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2022)
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