St. Patrick’s Day Recipe: Green Pesto Cream Cheese Spread For Bagels & More

We have plenty of St. Patrick’s Day recipes, but here’s a new one to start your day: Green Pesto Cream Cheese & Bagels. Yes, some places will be selling plain green bagels for St. Patrick’s Day. But if want your favorite bagel topping—poppyseed, sesame, everything, whatever—it couldn’t be simpler to make a St. Pat’s bagel at home.

Just combine a jar of pesto with cream cheese (photo #1)!

You can also use the recipe as a spread with crackers, or make it less thick for a dip, by adding plain Greek yogurt.

If you want an easier way to create a St. Patrick’s Day bagel, just snip chives or green scallion tops on plain cream cheese or olive cream cheese (photo #1, photo #3).

Feel free to use low-fat cream cheese. The recipes also work with Greek yogurt.

And of course, make pesto cream cheese anytime you need something green.

> The history of bagels.

> The history of cream cheese.

> St. Patrick’s Day recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, snacks, and dessert.
 
 
RECIPE #1: GREEN PESTO CREAM CHEESE SPREAD

This recipe, from Colavita, also includes recipes for other occasions: a sundried tomato bagel spread and an artichoke spread.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the pesto sauce and cream cheese in a food processor or blender until smooth. Use immediately, serving with the chopped chives. Or refrigerate for later.

2. IF REFRIGERATED, allow softening on the counter for 5+ minutes before serving. Scatter with chives and serve.
 
 
RECIPE #2: SUNDRIED TOMATO CREAM CHEESE SPREAD

See top left corner of photo #1.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the sundried tomatoes and cream cheese in a food processor or blender until smooth. Use immediately or refrigerate.

2. IF REFRIGERATED, allow softening on the counter for 5+ minutes before serving.
 
 
RECIPE #3: ARTICHOKE CREAM CHEESE SPREAD

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the artichokes and cream cheese in a food processor or blender until smooth. Use immediately or refrigerate.

2. IF REFRIGERATED, allow softening on the counter for 5+ minutes before serving.

[1] Make pesto cream cheese for St. Patrick’s Day bagels (photo © Colavita Recipes).

[2] It couldn’t be easier: Just mix a jar of pesto with cream cheese (photo © The Merchant’s Feast | Shopify [now closed]).

[3] The easiest bagel for St. Pat’s: Top plain cream cheese with finely-cut chives or scallion tops (photo © Karolina Grabowska | Pexels).