Prepared Foods showcases new breakfast foods for foodservice in January 2020.

This past November saw General Mills Convenience & Foodservice, Minneapolis, extend its popular Pillsbury Mini Pancakes line with a new Chocolately Chip Explosion variety.

“Featuring 16g of whole grain per serving, the new pancakes have chocolate chips baked in for no-mess eating and work well for breakfast in the classroom, in the cafeteria or breakfast on the go,” the company says.

“We are so proud to mark 10 years of helping schools make breakfast more efficient and delicious with Pillsbury Mini Pancakes,” adds Jasmine Scott, associate channel manager for K-12 at General Mills Convenience & Foodservice. “This product, which led to the rollout of a number of other Pillsbury hot breakfast items, has been a game-changer for schools—helping them serve students warm, wholesome breakfast items they love.”

Pillsbury frozen mini pancakes come in individually wrapped 3.17oz bags for thaw-and-serve or heat-and-serve applications. Each serving delivers 2oz of equivalent grain servings with no artificial flavors or colors from artificial sources. Other Pillsbury Mini Pancake flavors are Maple Burst’n and Strawberry Splash.

General Mills’ other “mini” hot breakfast items include Pillsbury waffles, French toast, bagels, filled crescents and cinnamon rolls.

Last summer saw Tyson Foodservice, Springdale, Ark., expand its Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage product line with three new, on-trend flavors: Maple Patties, Chorizo Patties and Barrel Smoked Skinless Links.

Sausage is a breakfast staple among many consumers; 45% of those surveyed said more sausage offerings would encourage increased foodservice breakfast consumption.

The three new sausage flavor profiles from the Jimmy Dean brand highlight popular flavors among consumers. Tyson cites research showing chorizo sausage has seen a 37% increase in breakfast menu items since 2015, maple has grown by more than 27%  during the past four years, and menu penetration for smoked flavor on breakfast menus is 43.7% across all segments. Additionally, the fully-cooked format provides fast and easy preparation for back-of-house operations.

More recently, Tyson also introduced Jimmy Dean Frittata Sandwiches as a healthy “better-for-you” option operators can incorporate into their offerings.

Officials say the Jimmy Dean Frittata Sandwich is low in carbs and high in protein to power consumers all day long providing them with more of their daily protein needs. Sandwiches come in three different flavors Florentine Frittata with Turkey Sausage and Cheese; Florentine Frittata with Chicken and Cheese; and Farmer Frittata with Sausage and Cheese.

After a successful test in New York City’s Manhattan, restaurant operator Dunkin, Canton, Mass., extended distribution of the Beyond Breakfast Sausage Sandwich to more than 9,000 Dunkin’ restaurants nationwide beginning Nov. 6. The product features a plant-based patty from Beyond Meat, El Segundo, Calif.

Officials say Dunkin’ is the nation’s first quick service restaurant brand to go beyond traditional on-the-go breakfast choices by serving Beyond Breakfast Sausage. Offering the delicious taste and texture of a juicy, savory breakfast sausage patty, Dunkin’s Beyond Sausage Sandwich features Beyond Meat’s breakfast sausage patty made with 100% plant-based protein and a mix of spices crafted specifically for Dunkin’.

Officials say the Beyond Breakfast Sausage patty features 10g of plant-based protein and is served on an English muffin with egg and American cheese. The Beyond Sausage Sandwich has 29% less total fat, 33% less saturated fat and fewer calories, cholesterol and sodium than a traditional Dunkin’ Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich on an English muffin.

“Dunkin’ is the brand that democratizes trends for America, and this latest addition to our menu gives consumers more choice to meet their evolving needs,” noted Dave Hoffmann, Dunkin’ Brands chief executive officer and Dunkin’ U.S. president. “As we continue to transform our brand, we’re proud to use our platform to give everyone the opportunity to enjoy the great taste and benefits of plant-based protein.”