We have a Panera about 6 blocks from us, and a local bagel shop a few blocks further away that IMHO makes a better bagel than Panera but I still prefer to make my own.
I buy a four-cheese blend (Parmesan, Asiago, Romano and Provolone), it makes an excellent topping on bagels. I sprinkle some on the top of pizzas and lasagna, too.
Personally, I'm not sure that there's cheese IN the Panera bagels, and I don't add it to bagel dough because I usually make 3 kinds of bagels from a batch: Plain, Cheese, and Poppy Seed. (And I put poppy seeds on both sides, unlike most bagel shops.)
Oh, the bagel-y goodness! Wish I had one now, with a schmear of cream cheese, some diced onion, diced dill pickle and a squirt of yellow mustard. HEAVEN! ~ MaryJane
January 15, 2013 at 11:02am