Sausage is one of those versatile and flavorful ingredients that’s edging its way onto plates all across the menu. Restaurant operators are turning to this savory choice for not only traditional breakfast times, but all day long. Breakfast sausage can easily be spun into a variety of new and exciting menu choices. Best of all, they’re fast and easy to prepare.
Entice breakfast diners with new flavors
Consumers care about whether or not a breakfast dish will keep them satisfied , according to Technomic’s 2017 Breakfast Consumer Trend Report. So, why not wake up that breakfast menu with some new and filling flavor combos to tempt existing customers and lure in new ones? Jimmy Dean® brand, for example, has recently introduced chorizo, maple and barrel-smoked sausage options to its product lineup for links and patties. Rethink that breakfast sandwich or add on a breakfast grinder that includes smoked sausage links smothered with oven-roasted mushrooms and onions all topped with a fried egg for a hearty on-the-go dish that hungry customers will love.
Seek inspiration from other restaurant operators too. Dunkin’, for instance, is testing out a Sausage Scramble bowl featuring scrambled eggs, sausage, peppers, onions and melted cheddar jack cheese; and Burger King is trialing a Maple Waffle sandwich available with ham, sausage or bacon. By changing up formats, restaurants give customers something new to choose when they come in.
Incorporate breakfast sausage in other daypart menus
Stretching the food budget is important in restaurants. The more dishes they can make with one ingredient, the better. With sausage, restaurant operators can easily take that same breakfast sausage and roll it out onto lunch and dinner menus. The protein’s versatility allows for countless flavor combinations for any daypart and allows operators to purchase smartly. For instance, if Jimmy Dean® Chorizo Breakfast Sausage is being used in a breakfast hash, why not transition that same ingredient into a spicy starter, like chorizo-sausage topped nachos. Or, serve up Jimmy Dean® Barrel-Smoked Breakfast Sausage as “sliders” on mini buns, topped with peppers and onions, for lunch.
Technomic’s 2019 Center of the Plate: Beef and Pork Consumer Trend Report found that while several types of pork, such as bacon and sausage, are common breakfast meats, many consumers are likely to order pork for lunch and dinner dishes. They particularly warm to dishes like pizza/flatbread that feature the meats (47% say they’d be likely to order); stir fries (37% would be likely to order); Mexican dishes (34%); and soup, stew or chili (34%). Use breakfast sausage in a spicy, hearty kale stew to appeal to those diners, for instance.
Sausage versatility also goes beyond flavors. Many kitchens cater to regional taste preferences, dietary restrictions or specific demographics, and with so many variations and flavor combinations, it’s easy to adapt a recipe to fit specific needs. Spicy flavors continue to rise in popularity among regional and ethnic cuisines. Technomic’s 2019 Q1 Flavor Lifecycle Entrees Report reveals that 35% of consumers are more interested in trying new flavors now than they were in 2016, and 45% of consumers are craving bold flavors, such as chorizo and chipotle, which is up from 41% in 2015.
Certain popular diets such as the ketogenic diet, are well suited for sausage in any shape, size or flavor. Consider adding sausage bites with a cheesy dip on the side or a smoky honey barbecue sausage meatloaf to the dinner menu.
By introducing sausage all day long, diners have something new to try at every meal.
This post is sponsored by Tyson Foodservice