Some of you might remember my post from last July where I described some of my favorite supermarket shortcuts from the freezer. In that post, one of the shortcuts I listed was Jimmy Dean Breakfast Scrambles, which my husband and I love for a quick meal anytime. They are soeasy and convenient that I usually have one of these handy little time-savers in the freezer at all times! A few days ago, after we had another of our “breakfast scramble” suppers, I started thinking that it would be cool to try and make my own kits and see if I could do it for less money. Since my husband’s favorite breakfast scramble is sausage, I decided to try and copy that one first.
After a quick trip to the store for ingredients, I am delighted to say that my experiment was a success. For the same price as one Jimmy Dean Sausage Breakfast Scramble (purchased at the local Superstore for $3.48), I was able to purchase enough ingredients to create three kits of my own, equal in size to Jimmy Dean’s, for just $2.65 each! In addition to the great savings, the best part was that I had total control over what went into my kits! I like that there were no worries about excessive sodium, that I could adjust the ingredients to suit our tastes, and that I could make it healthier by using turkey breakfast sausage instead of pork sausage.
Now that I know how easy and economical it is to make my own meal kits, I plan to experiment with some more and blog about it in future posts (so stay tuned)! If you have any meal kit ideas, please give me a shout out…maybe your idea will be a feature on Food for Thought here at Half Hour Meals!
Penny’s Breakfast Skillet Meal Kit:
1 ( oz.) bag southern style hash browns 1 (oz.) bag frozen pepper and onion stir-fry or fajita veggie mix 1 ½ lbs. turkey breakfast sausage ½ tsp. vegetable oilIn a large skillet, brown turkey breakfast sausage in vegetable oil; remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. In a large bowl, combine cooled turkey sausage with potatoes and pepper/onion mix and toss ingredients to combine evenly. Divide mixture in equal amounts among three gallon-size freezer bags (I found scooping it out with a one-cup measure worked great). Label and freeze, use within 6 months. Note: Since you only need 1 ½ lbs. turkey sausage for the recipe and it’s sold in 1 lb. rolls, you obviously have to buy two lbs. I cook it all, and then just freeze the extra ½ lb. for use later (or use it to make up a quick quiche)!
To prepare Breakfast Skillet:
1 Breakfast Skillet Kit 6 eggs 3 tbsp. milk 1 tbsp. vegetable oilIn a large pan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add contents of Breakfast Skillet Kit. Cook Breakfast Skillet until potatoes are beginning to brown and onions and peppers are soft. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk eggs and milk until combined. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, push Breakfast Skillet to one side of the pan; pour egg mixture into the empty half of the skillet. Using a wooden spoon, constantly stir and scrape the eggs until they begin to scramble. Once eggs are scrambled, stir to combine with Breakfast Skillet. Remove from heat and serve.
Variation: Breakfast Skillet Kits make a great frittata!
1 Breakfast Skillet kit 6 eggs 3 tbsp. milk 1 tsp. pepper 1 cup shredded cheddar cheesePreheat oven to 375 degrees. Take contents of one kit, thawed, and arrange in a greased 9-inch pie pan. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and milk; pour over breakfast skillet mixture; sprinkle with pepper. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Top with shredded cheese and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.
Half Hour Meals community member, 
Half Hour Meals Member Sarah lives in Texas and authors an entertaining blog about her love of food and music, and the creative ways she combines them. She writes about her adventures in the kitchen and her foray into cooking class with humor and honesty, even eliciting a few belly laughs as you read about her attempts to get to know her knife. Read on to learn more about Sarah’s adventures in the kitchen.
Beyond having a good amount of 30 minute meals on-hand, like the ones you’ll find here at Half Hour Meals, the key to getting dinner done in a flash is preparation. Once you have a few prepped ingredients in your aresenal, your meals will go from time-consuming to ready-in-no-time.
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I have huge goals that are based on the content in my blog. I am getting a great response and my fan base is growing daily.
Recently I had the chance to chat with Half Hour Meals Community Member, Eleonora. She is a wonderfully diverse and very talented woman with a love for all things Italian. Her blog showcases this very well and captivates the reader, taking one on an armchair journey through Italy with stunning photographs and engaging commentary. We are very lucky to have Eleonora as a member here, read on and find out why.
authors a blog about food, life, and friends. When you read her blog you come quickly to feel that you truly know her because she shares her thoughts and feelings so freely. Read on to learn a little bit more about her.
Does your busy lifestyle make it a real challenge to get dinner on the table? Do you find yourself relying more and more on take-out, delivery or the same old handful of recipes? Do you wish there was a way to put a delicious home-cooked meal on the table without spending hours in the kitchen and blowing you budget on dozens of exotic ingredients? If this sounds familiar, you’re in the right place! Half Hour Meals was created with people like you in mind!