Smoked Gouda BBQ Bagels

So one day I wandered into The Fresh Market, looking to kill time before a meeting. I wasn't planning on buying anything beyond a Donna Hay magazine (an indulgence!), but I passed the cheese section and smoked gouda was calling my name.

I didn't really have a plan for the gouda beyond slicing it up with crackers for a snack, but the next night I came home and wanted a small dinner, something kind of noshy. No, that's not a word, but it describes what I wanted.

I evaluated what we had: plain bagels, bacon and smoked gouda. Hmmmm.

So I grated some of that gouda up and fried up some bacon:

I figured my little pizza bagel needed a sauce, so I considered the flavors of bacon and smoked gouda and went with my Gates BBQ sauce.

I topped the mixture with some thyme and popped it in the oven at 450 until the cheese bubbled.

And oh man, was this concoction tasty! I had the same thing two days later. It was really simple, but a different combination of flavors, which made it interesting.

I still have some gouda left. What should I do with it? Gimme your favorite gouda suggestions.