TheKitchn.com

I live in New York City, the home of amazing bagels, so it should come as no surprise that I eat plenty of them. And no matter the filling, my bagel choice is always the same: an everything bagel. You can even buy the everything bagel spice blend that gives them their signature flavor, but we've got something better: a recipe to make it yourself at home.

What everything bagel spice includes

Everything bagel spice is a mixture of common ingredients you probably have in your pantry right now. It includes poppy seeds, toasted sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion and salt. There's an even mix of each ingredient, except the salt (there's slightly less of that). Of course, you can always adjust the ratio to suit your own taste.

How to use everything bagel spice

I think the bigger question is how can't you use this spice blend? The possibilities are nearly endless. Use it on everything from bagels to avocado toast to bread sticks. Mix it into cream cheese, dip or hummus. Blend it into scrambled eggs or mac and cheese.

When using it on store-bought bagels, first brush the top of the bagel with a very thin layer of water, then sprinkle with everything bagel spice. The water is essential for the spice mix to stick to the bagels.

Everything Bagel Spice

Makes just over 1/4 cup

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon dried garlic

1 tablespoon dried onion

2 teaspoons coarse salt

1. Spoon each of the spices into a small bowl, and stir together until well-combined.

2. Store the spice in a sealed container until you're ready to use.

(Kelli Foster is associate food editor for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)