When things were normal this time last year, we were in Toronto on vacation 😞. While out for breakfast we noticed the folks next to us eating what looked like a huge art piece full of food! While staring out of the corner of our eyes 😉, we noticed they were actually beautifully decorated cocktails that made us so jealous. I promised myself right then and there, I would try to make my own one day. The day has finally arrived, and I think we could all use our “Bagel Brunch Virgin Mary Recipe ” to celebrate the end of 2020. You in?

My Bagel Brunch Virgin (or bloody) Mary(s) would be perfect for breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner, and even an appetizer. Heck…they would be good on Tuesday at 3pm for no reason at all. What makes this idea so tempting, is that you can really get creative, and use what you have on hand. In other words, think outside the restaurant on this and have fun. Turn these babies into a meal that can be shared, or individually served.

What Tomato Juice Should I use for the Bagel Brunch Virgin Mary?

The first point I want to make is that I have a very talented friend whom I have known since the 4th grade, and her name is Melissa. Mel is not a food blogger, but I have been telling her for years that she would be a very good one because her food just looks so darn good. Sometimes, she shares her Bloody Mary Cocktails that she makes on the weekends, so I decided to ask her for her tips for the tomato juice cocktail part. Guess what!? She texted me the exact recipe 🤭. We then tested it, and it is absolutely savory perfection. Be sure to use her recipe below in my printable version. The only thing(s) I left out were the ice and vodka simply because I prefer it just chilled, and my husband doesn’t drink alcohol (both recipes are below).

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What Toppings Should I use for my Virgin/Bloody Mary Appetizer Cocktail?

When thinking about what to top your Virgin/Bloody Mary Appetizer Cocktail with, first look in your refrigerator. I bet you will find several ingredients just waiting for you such as black/green olives, pickles, cucumbers, cheese, eggs, and leftover meats.

TIP: I didn’t have pretty leafy celery, so I sliced the tops into tiny slices so it opened up into little fanned out curls 😊.

Another place to search for more toppings is your freezer or pantry. If you’re going to make this a meal, why not add toasted bagels (my simple bagel recipe is found here) or bread to the skewers?! Speaking of skewers…here’s the wood ones I like to use:

BUY SKEWERS HERE

Lastly, before I get to the recipe, think about your spices as adding not only flavor, but to make it all look finished off like sprinkles on a frosted cookie. I used “Everything Bagel Seasoning” which pairs nice with bagels, and eggs.

Happy New Year Everyone! Here’s to a safe, healthy, happy 2021!

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Yield: 2-4

Bagel Brunch Virgin Mary Recipe

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Liquid lunch gets a makeover when you add appetizer toppings to a Virgin (or Bloody) Mary Recipe that will satisfy the hungriest of appetites. Think outside the restaurant with toppings such as toasted bagels with cream cheese spread on them, and deviled eggs smothered in delicious spices. Don't forget the pickle!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• *This recipe is for 2 large Bagel Brunch Virgin/Bloody Marys like you see in photo, but can be split up into 4 small. You will have leftover juice.
• Juice:
• 1 32 ounce Clamato Tomato Juice (use just Clamato Juice if desired like me)
• *Optional-your favorite plain tomato juice to mix with Clamato Juice-so use less Clamato, and substitute with the tomato juice)
• 8 dashes of Worcestershire
• 2 dashes Tabasco
• 2 dashes celery salt (to taste)
• 2 dashed black pepper (to taste)
• splash of pickle or olive juice
• 2 lime wedges squeezed in
• 1 ounce vodka (optional)
• Ice (optional if juice is chilled)
• Toppings (my exact assembly instructions are below):
• 4 12 inch wooden skewers
• 1 bagel cut in 1/2, toasted
• cream cheese
• Everything Bagel Seasoning
• 2 hardboiled eggs cut in 1/2
• leftover meats/fish such as shrimp, bacon, pepperoni/salami, breakfast sausage
• 2 leafy pretty celery stalks (see tips on this in post)
• 2 dill pickle spears
• 2 cherry tomatoes
• 2 cheddar cheese cubes
• 1 lime

Instructions

Prepare juice to chill:

Prepare juice by mixing all juice ingredients (except ice) in a pitcher, chill, or add ice to the cups right before serving. Note: Mel likes to add ice to a big glass, then she adds the juice ingredients to each individual serving in the glass, and mixes it just like a bartender would by pouring it back and forth into another glass. Pretty cool.

Prepping Scewers:

Prep skewers by first cooking your eggs (10 min boil in shell), and cooling them before you slice each one in 1/2 and lightly roll in Everything Bagel Seasoning. Set aside.

Clean and cut your celery (I explain more in post), cut pickles if not already in spears, and clean and slice lime.

Cut cheese cubes, get out olives, and meat (shrimp, bacon, pepperoni/salami, breakfast sausage).

Cut bagel in 1/2, lightly toast, and spread with cream cheese. Sprinkle on Everything Bagel Seasoning to taste (be careful it can be salty).

Assemble Scewers:

Assemble skewers (meat on bottom, eggs, olive, tomato, cheese) and place in juice.

Add celery and pickle spear to juice.

Then put the bagel on it's own skewer and if necessary add a horizontal skewer to keep it from turning. Remember not to have skewer poking out because this can be dangerous!

Add your slice of lime, and shrimp to the rim of the glass.

Sprinkle on a little more Everything Bagel Seasoning.

Repeat for glass #2, or do both at the same time.

Add straws and small forks if desired. Have plate handy!

Don't worry if it's not picture perfect, these photos took me literally 2 hours to stage.

Shrimp, Olive & Salami Bloody Mary Recipe

Here’s another version of Mel’s Bloody Mary recipe I mentioned above that I played with the first time I tried it. You can see I added ice this time, and the topping are a little more traditional, but still very fun! See above recipe for the juice details. The toppings are celery, large green olives from Costco, cooked shrimp, salami, and turkey pepperoni all loaded on the wood skewers mentioned above.

Simple NY Style Bagel Recipe

Pasta Sauce Shots (no alcohol)

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10 Amazing Appetizer Recipes