I’ve never been much for “brown and serve” type breakfast sausages; to me, they have always represented one of the main components of civic group and church pancake breakfasts, huge chafing trays of the little pork links.
But it’s hard to pass up any processed pork product that is selling for around $2 a pound these days, less than half what you would pay for other breakfast meats, whether your favorites are bacon, ham, or smoked or patty sausage.
Farmer Johns Original Breakfast sausage are always a buck for a 1/2 pound package at Dollar Tree and most club stores. Fairly often, they are on sale for even less. So that’s a deal.
They are “skinless,” and they are not pre-cooked, so prep will take you 10-15 minutes on the stove top or under the broiler. No one recommends microwaving them.
Farmer Johns is an L.A. company, located in Vernon, just south of downtown LA. They’ve been around since 1931, and make the full range of processed pork products: bacon, sausage, hot dogs, lunch meat, hams…….including the local favorite “Dodger Dog,” sold at Dodger stadium and in retail outlets. The factory (USDA est. 360) (pictured below) is “famous” for its extensive murals depicting rural life. They are now part of Hormel.
The ingredients for the breakfast sausage are straightforward: Pork, water, sodium lactate, less than 2 % salt, dextrose, surgar, flavorings, BH, propyl gallate, citric acid. I’m happy that list doesn’t include any configuration of corn syrup solids, or mechanically separated poutltry.
This product may have changed my mind about having them in the regular breakfast rotation, especially at this price. Plus, since they are not in casings, if they are thawed, you can smoosh them into patties, if you prefer your pork intake in that shape!
The flavor is good, not very seasoned, so great appeal for the mass market. They also offer a “maple flavor” variety.
In the box
In the skillet 10 minutes
Dodger Dogs Retail Packaging
Farmer John Factory
Farmer Johns Sausage Review