Get ready for National Bagel Day with fun and funky recipe ideas !

The 9th February - that's this Thursday - is National Bagel Day and the UK’s No.1 bagel bakers - New York Bakery Co - sent us through a lovely selection of their products to mark the occasion, along with some tasty recipes to try. Before I share their delicious ideas with you, let me show you some of our favourite ways of eating bagels here at The Madhouse.

Made into monsters for the kids' lunchboxes.

Turned into a Loch Ness monster (you could make a really long one for kids' parties !).

As a base for personalised individual bagel-pizzas.

In place of the usual baps for gourmet chicken or hamburgers.

If you want something a bit more refined, how about trying one of these fab foodie combinations, as suggested by New York Bakery Co ?

Smoked Chicken, Sundried Tomato & Smashed Avocado Cheese Bagel

Preparation Time: 6 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 New York Bakery Co. Cheese Bagels

1 smoked chicken breast, skin removed

1 ripe avocado

½ lime

Pinch of salt and pepper

2 heaped tsp tomato paste

2 handfuls of spinach

Method:

1. Halve the bagels and lightly toast.

2. Scoop the flesh from the avocado and lightly mash with a fork. Squeeze in the juice from ½ a lime and season with salt and pepper.

3. Slice the chicken breast into ½ cm slices.

4. Spread the bagel with the sundried tomato paste; top with the smashed avocado and sliced chicken.

5. Finish with a layer of spinach, place the top of the bagel on top and gently squash down.

Parma Ham, Egg and Sriracha Cheese Bagel

Preparation Time: 15 - 20 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 New York Bakery Co. Cheese Bagel

4 slices Parma ham

2 small eggs

Sriracha hot sauce

Butter

A couple of sprigs of coriander

1 avocado

½ lime

Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Slice the bagel in two and generously butter each half. Add the bagels to a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat (buttered side down) and toast for 4-5 mins or until golden brown and crispy.

2. Scoop the flesh from the avocado and mash with a fork. Season with lime juice, salt and pepper.

3. Cut the bagel slices in half down the middle and place on a flat tray lined with foil. Place the bagel halves side by side – slightly separated – and carefully line the holes with a slice of Parma ham.

4. Crack an egg into each Parma ham lined hole and bake in the oven until the white is set but the yolk is still runny. This should take around 8-10 mins.

5. Serve each bagel half with a little smashed avocado and drizzle with Sriracha hot sauce. Garnish with a sprig of coriander.

New York Bakery Co. offers a range of authentic New York-style Bagels – plus Bagel Thins and Bagel Minis for a real taste of New York. The company was founded by a baker from North America who wanted to share the great taste of a true New York bagel with the UK and started the New York Bakery Co in the 1990s in Rotherham, England. There are a whole host of bagels in the New York Bakery Co. range, including:

 Plain Bagels

 Cinnamon & Raisin Bagels

 Sesame Bagels

 Red Onion & Chive Bagels

 Wholemeal Bagels

 Seeded Bagels

 Blueberry Bagels

Plain Mini Bagels

Cheese Bagels

Bagel Sandwich Thins

RRP £1.50 - Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose, Ocado, Sainsbury's

Disclosure : I received a selection of bagels for National Bagel Day.