Here’s another quick lunch box idea (or meal prep breakfast idea) for you! While this one isn’t completely no-cook because it contains a hard boiled egg, it is still a super easy no-reheat lunch box that you can take to work, school, or on the road. This Bagel Lunch Box includes a mini bagel, some of my favorite Scallion Herb Cream Cheese, a handful of vegetables that go oh so well with the flavored cream cheese, and a simple hard boiled egg. It’s super simple to put together, but it makes life so much easier when your mornings are busy. Just grab a lunch box and go!
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About that Cream Cheese…
I included my Scallion Herb Cream Cheese in this bagel lunch box because it has so much flavor and really adds a nice element of interest to the meal. If you don’t want to make this cream cheese you can use plain cream cheese or use a store-bought flavored cream cheese. Another nice option is to use plain cream cheese, but then bring some Everything Bagel Seasoning with you to add some extra flavor.
Other Lunch Box Add-In Ideas
If you want to substitute any of the ingredients or add to this lunch box, here are some good ideas of things that would also match well:
- Smoked salmon
- Carrot sticks
- An orange, tangerine, or cutie
- Grapes
- Deli ham
- Alfalfa sprouts
Where Did You Get Those Containers?
The divided glass meal prep containers and the small metal cups were both purchased on Amazon (links in the bottom of the recipe card below).
The Bagel Lunch Box
Servings 4Ingredients
Scallion Herb Cream Cheese
- 4 oz. cream cheese ($0.60)
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley ($0.06)
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro ($0.04)
- 1 green onion, sliced ($0.11)
- 1/16 tsp garlic powder ($0.01)
- 1/16 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.02)
Lunch Box Ingredients
- 4 mini bagels ($1.52)
- 4 large eggs ($0.92)
- 1 cucumber, sliced ($1.29)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes ($0.75)
Instructions
- To hard boil the eggs, place the eggs in a sauce pot and add water until the eggs are covered by one inch. Place the pot over high heat and allow the water to come up to a full boil. When it reaches a full boil, turn off the heat, place a lid on the pot, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool.
- To make the scallion herb cream cheese, combine the cream cheese, parsley, cilantro, green onion, garlic powder, salt, and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir together until evenly combined.
- Place one bagel in each lunch box along with ¼ of the cucumber slices, ¼ of the grape tomatoes, ¼ of the cream cheese (1 oz.), and one hard boiled egg. Refrigerate up to five days.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Divided Glass Meal Prep Containers
- Dipping Cups
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Try These Other Lunch Box Ideas:
How to Make the Bagel Lunch Box – Step by Step Photos
To hard boil the eggs, add the eggs to a sauce pot and add enough water to cover them by one inch. Place the pot over high heat and allow the water to come up to a full boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, transfer the eggs to an ice water bath to cool.
To make the scallion herb cream cheese, combine 4 oz. cream cheese, 1 Tbsp chopped parsley, 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro, one sliced green onion, 1/16 tsp (or one pinch) garlic powder, 1/16 tsp (one pinch) salt, and ½ Tbsp lemon juice in a bowl. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
Place one bagel, one hard boiled egg, ¼ of the sliced cucumbers, ¼ of the tomatoes, and ¼ of the cream cheese (1 oz.) in each lunch box. Refrigerate up to five days.
Was just browsing and saw this…. now i want a bagel haha!
Thanks for the great ideas…i will be trying these and other budget bytes in future.
I couldn’t find mini bagels, so I substituted almond crackers. Excellent! Thank you for these lunch prep receipes!
My daughter would love this! I was also thinking smoked salmon instead of the egg would be a tasty treat lunch!
I am so excited about this. I find myself making quesadillas for lunch all the time because I’m too lazy to make anything else. I love your lunchbox series!! Thanks for keeping things so simple.