Buzz
As a nation, we may not excel at doing things, but we sure do them frequently. This is evident in our politics and our eating habits, as reflected in our ever-expanding waistlines. It’s no surprise then that our attempts to reduce those waistlines are often outrageous, bordering on the absurd. No dietary measure is too extreme for the American dieter—whether it involves grueling workouts or eliminating entire macronutrients that have sustained humans for centuries.
(I can say this because I’m part of the latter group, as a self-proclaimed keto enthusiast.)
This brings us to the Jimmy Dean Eggwich, a product that could only exist in America and become surprisingly popular. With a sausage patty and cheese sandwiched between frittata ‘buns’ instead of bread, the ‘Eggwich’ (a term I won’t repeat) is a perfect representation of American diet culture: an over-engineered, extreme solution to a problem, conveniently made for a busy lifestyle.
It's surprisingly tasty, especially when your restrictive diet basically bans sandwiches. However, at $8 for four sandwiches at my local store, 'pretty good for a frozen, inside-out egg sandwich' still means you're eating something frozen. We can make something better for less.
There’s no real ‘hack’ here—what you see is what you get. You could easily crack a couple of eggs into a pan, place sausage between them, and dig in. But for the sake of authenticity, I wanted to more closely replicate the egg ‘buns.’ To do this, I opted to cook the eggs in greased mason jar lids submerged in a water bath. After whisking the eggs with salt, pepper, and a touch of cream, I discovered that each lid could hold about half the mixture. The lids contain the eggs and prevent them from visibly browning.
(If we were aiming for perfect replicas, we’d finely chop and sauté ingredients like onions, broccoli, or peppers. If you feel like spending an extra 45 minutes doing that for your unique low-carb egg sandwiches, go ahead. A quicker alternative would be to add flavor enhancers like herbs or dry, crumbled cheese. Go wild and get as adventurous as you like!)
Heat the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. After about three minutes, lift the lid to witness something pretty cool: The eggs will have expanded significantly, and when you remove the lid, they’ll quickly shrink back, almost like strange alien creatures fleeing from light. You’ll know they’re done when they turn a lovely canary yellow with no visible liquid or runny egg. Use a towel or tongs to remove them.
How you proceed from here is entirely up to you. If you greased the mason jar lids or used nonstick spray, the eggs should slide right out. Following Mr. Dean’s method, you’d place a roughly two-ounce breakfast sausage patty between the eggs, add some melted American cheese, and enjoy. But since you're the one in control, feel free to make changes. Switch up the cheese, try different meat, or whatever you desire. The world of low-carb possibilities is yours. I chose havarti and regular breakfast sausage, and it was better than expected. For aesthetic reasons, I suggest assembling the sandwich with the flatter sides of the eggs facing outward.
I also find that their modular nature makes them great for meal prep, which you’re probably familiar with if you're the type of person who eats a diet that leads you to discover (and get excited about) bunless egg sandwiches. My only suggestion would be to hold off on adding the cheese if you’re prepping several in advance. It's better to add the cheese right before serving, so you can heat the components separately if necessary.
Homemade Jimmy Dean Eggwiches (makes four)
Ingredients
8 eggs
8 oz breakfast sausage, formed into four patties
4 slices of cheese
4 oz heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Place mason jar lids in a pan (as many as will fit) and lightly coat them with nonstick cooking spray. Pour about half a cup of water between the lids and set the heat to medium to medium-high. Meanwhile, cook the sausage in a pan or on a griddle over medium heat.
In a bowl, crack as many eggs as you have mason jar lids, then beat them with salt, pepper, and heavy cream. Once the water in the pan starts to steam and gently simmer, pour the egg mixture into the lids, distributing it evenly. Cover the pan and set a timer for three minutes.
The eggs are done when there’s no visible liquid or undercooked egg in the rings. Use tongs or a towel to remove them (they should come out easily if the lids were greased). Set the eggs aside and assemble your sandwiches: start with an egg, followed by a sausage patty, cheese, and then another egg.
