Panera Cinnamon Crunch Bagels

We’re talking favorites here today.I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite things to do is to meet a friend for breakfast, brunch or lunch. And our favorite place to meet? It’s usually Panera Bread. With a great selection of salads, soups and sandwiches it’s a no-brainer for brunching or lunching ladies. If we’re meeting for lunch I usually get Panera’s “You Pick Two,” with half a salad and half of one of my favorite sandwiches: either the Smoked Turkey Sandwich or (I hope Panera never removes this from their lineup) the Roasted Turkey & Avocado BLT. And of course an iced tea. Always iced tea. They have the best iced tea.

Now, if we’re talking breakfast, brunch, or snack time, it has to be the Cinnamon Crunch Bagel. And of course, an iced tea. The Cinnamon Crunch Bagel has been a favorite of mine for many years. And not just because it’s cinnamon-y and crunchy and oh so delicious, but because they saved my neck years ago.

Let me tell ya how. But shhhh … it’s kind of a secret. Several years ago I found myself in a pinch. It was early one morning on a very cram packed day. I was already out and about running errands, when a friend called to ask what I was taking to the potluck brunch in a couple of hours. Crud. I had totally forgotten all about it. With little time for cooking, I ran into a nearby Panera to see what they may have that would serve a group without costing an arm and a leg (plus, I probably needed some tea). The Cinnamon Crunch Bagels were tried and true, so I decided to get a bunch of those and cut them in half to extend the serving amounts. The helpful Panera lady behind the counter obviously observed my panic, figured out my dilemma, and suggested I get them bread sliced. Wha? Bread slice a bagel? She then ran three (yes, only 3!) Cinnamon Crunch bagels through the bread slicer, which resulted in a crazy amount of slices. Genius! I bought a tub of cream cheese and was off to the brunch just like that. All for less than $10!

True story.

It’s been a handy dandy entertaining option to have in my back pocket ever since. Three Panera bagels, bread sliced go a long way. Just take a look for yourself:

3 Cinnamon Crunch Bagels

3 Cinnamon Crunch Bagels, bread sliced

1 tub of Honey Walnut Cream Cheese

Arrange it all on a platter. (And if you have time to toast first, oh my… do it!)

Voila! A quick appetizer or snack to serve a crowd for around $10. The Cinnamon Crunch Bagels (or any of their bagels for that matter) are not just for great for breakfast or brunch. Sliced and served this way would be a perfect addition and accompaniment for tea time, or an evening coffee social. Try it sometime, and see how it works. And, again, if you have time to toast the slices, do it. Yum!

Now that I’ve shared my all-time Panera favorite, I’d like to hear about your favorite AND share how you can win your favorite for a year. That’s a lot of bagels, man. Or cookies, or salad, or sandwiches, or soup. PLUS there’s a chance to win a $100 Panera gift card right here too! I know. So many prizes! There are different sweepstakes/giveaways going on. Let me explain. Right now over at Panerabread.com there’s is a lot of fun going on:

Vote for your Panera favorite – MyPanera members can enter for a chance to win it for a year! (There are 5 to choose from, but you can write in a personal favorite too. Visit the Panera Bread Favorites site at www.Panerabread.com to see how it all works.)

While there you can also learn about how to win weekly $25 gift card giveaways by sharing your favorites on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using #PaneraFaves. And don’t miss their fun Custom Ode Creator! I did it once (okay, maybe three times, but who’s counting?). You can personalize your own ode and share it too! It’s cute and fun and silly and all things bright and happy.

This post was sponsored by Panera. All opinions are my own.