The mad scientists at Jimmy Dean have come up with some pretty creative breakfast options over the years (perhaps nothing will ever top their pancakes-and-sausage-on-a-stick in terms of sheer creativity). So we’ve been following their line of stuffed hash browns with some measure of adoration. We’ve already tasted the Bacon & Veggies version, as well as the Sausage & Cheese version. Today we’re delving deeper into this line to try out the Jimmy Dean Meat Lovers Stuffed Hash Browns.
Like the other stuffed hash browns in this line, each of these breakfast snacks comes with a crisping pocket. Simply tuck the hash brown into the pocket and cook for about two minutes. (If you want to read the full cooking instructions from the box, check out the package scans at the bottom of this review.
According to the package, this heating method should produce a breakfast item that is “crispy from the microwave.” We should point out that this is an exaggeration. We wouldn’t use a word like “crispy” to describe these. They’re a little soggy, and even a little rubbery, with maybe a ghost of a crisp to the very outer edge.
The “Meat Lovers” part of the title is an exaggeration as well. You will find balls of sausage (which taste lovely) and fragments of ham and bacon (which also taste quite good) inside, but these are mostly hash browns and cheese. That’s not the worst thing in the world — the balance of flavors is actually pretty good here — but it’s something you’ll probably want to be aware of if you consider yourself a lover of meat.
All that said, these are actually really tasty. Despite its small portion size, the bacon really fills out the flavor profile, contrasting with the cheddar cheese in a way that’s really satisfying. We know we’ve talked a lot about the flaws here, but we need to be very clear that these are still delicious.
Each one of these hash brown pockets contains 260 calories (120 from fat). While that doesn’t seem too bad, keep in mind that one of these is not very filling, so you’ll be tempted to cook up a second one. Plus, just one of these contains 760 mg of sodium, which is quite a bit considering how small these are.
The Jimmy Dean Meat Lovers Stuffed Hash Browns are flawed, but they still make for a very tasty breakfast. If you’re not expecting something super crispy and chock full of meat, you’ll find a lot to love here.
To learn more about the nutrition content, ingredients, or cooking instructions for this frozen breakfast food, check out our package scans below.
