Why it works: Olive and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 15,539 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓
Bagel Toast
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cut the bagel in half.
Spread the Brindsah cheese (or the Feta cheese) on the half bagel.
Cover with several slices of hard cheese.
Add the corn and the sliced green olives.
Add several tomato slices and onion slices.
Pour ketchup and Thousand Island dressing on top.
Cover the bagel with the other half of the bagel.
Pour more Thousand Island dressing on top of the bagel and put it onto the grill.
Grill and serve
Activate the grill.
Remove the bagel when all the cheese has melted and the outside is medium-dark brown and crispy, about 2 minutes.
Eat immediately, served with any combination of sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumber, and/or pickles.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Bagel | 1 medium (89g) | 245 |
| Sesame | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Feta Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Corn | 1/2 cup kernels (82g) | 77 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Olive | 1 large (4g) | 4 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Olive + tomatotop 1% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,539 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Corn + tomatotop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,099 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Tomato + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Olive + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,779 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Olive + corntop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,502 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Bagel with sesame seeds
- Provides the crisp, toasted base and sturdy structure that holds the fillings.
- Brindsah cheese or feta cheese
- Melts and adds a salty, tangy creaminess to the bread.
- Sliced hard cheese
- Melts into a stretchy layer that binds the toppings and browns on the surface.
- Thousand island dressing
- Adds moisture and sweet-tangy flavour that soaks into the bread as it heats.
The step that matters
Remove the bagel when the cheese has melted and the outside is crispy. Cheese and bread keep browning after leaving the heat, and dressing and ketchup add sugar that can scorch. Pulling the bagel when the cheese is fully melted and the crust is golden-brown avoids a burnt exterior and a cold, unmelted centre.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (bagel, cheese, olive, corn, tomato, ketchup):
- Capsicumfits better
- Cucumberfits about as well
- Mustardfits about as well
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against bagel, cheese, olive, corn, tomato, ketchup. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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