Eggs

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Well, in the world of sandwiches, it was the chicken. But 2022 is the year of the egg. The egg sandwich, that is. If chicken sandwiches were the must-have menu item last year, egg sandwiches are predicted ^to quickly supplant them in 2022. They are showing up on menus as all-day sandwiches with premium ingredients and housemade sauces. Their appeal is their simplicity, craveability, and adaptability. Pair them with fries for added appeal and profitability.

Breakfast

Eggs are getting their all-day moment, but the breakfast daypart should not be overlooked. The daypart is bouncing back as people return to daily commuting, so we can expect to see increased marketing and product innovation by operators trying to get their share of the returning traffic. One suggestion for standing out from the crowd is to come up with creative breakfast sides, such as fries loaded with popular breakfast ingredients.

Trending Global Flavors

There are some global flavors and dishes that are forecasted to make their mark on menus this year:

• Halloumi cheese, made from goat and sheep’s milk, is an up-and-coming substitute for meat. It’s craveable and has a high melting point so it is easily grilled or fried. Topping French fries with Halloumi would make a great ‘loaded‘ menu item.
• Mutabal, a roasted eggplant-based dip, is similar to Baba Ganoush but with fewer ingredients. Pair with fries for that consumer-friendly combination of the familiar with the new.
• Tlayuda, a Mexican flatbread from Oaxaca, is made with many different toppings, so innovative variations can be easily developed. Consider adding potatoes as a topping for added comfort.
• Comforting soups and stews with a global twist are growing in popularity and will make it easy to come up with distinctive menu items. Plus, soups are delivery friendly.

As you’re looking to innovate your menu in 2022, keep these global trends and flavors in mind so you can capture your share of increasing consumer demand and traffic as the restaurant industry recovers.

Courtesy of Operators-Edge.com, Lamb Weston, Technomic 2022 Global Restaurant Trends Forecast

Why hash browns? I, like many others, love hash brown potatoes. Tender potato enveloped in a crispy golden brown exterior potato crust… a favorite amongst all breakfast potato connoisseurs. But, why should something do good be primarily served as a breakfast side? I say cross your hash browns over from corner of the plate to center stage! Here are a few fun and approachable ways to present hash browns as the star of your menu.

• Use as a crust for a quiche or frittata (see our Quichetata video)
• Use as a plank style poutine presentation
• Top crispy hash browns with pulled chicken + drizzle with buffalo aioli sauce and shower with blue cheese crumbles
• Use in place of bread as a base for bruschetta
• Use in place of bread for a twist on a breakfast sandwich
• Top with whipped cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers, shaved onions and chopped chives
• Perfect for a “potato pizza” top with red sauce, pizza cheese and your favorite pizza toppings for a creative play on pizza

St. Patrick’s Day is known for corned beef dinners, juicy briskets, and bangers. Oh my! Alongside green beer – tender, juicy, and delicious meats become the talk of the day. Which also makes it far too easy to focus your St. Patrick’s Day menu on “the meats.” With that in mind, don’t overlook the simple, delicious, and truly green (no dye here) possibilities St. Patty’s presents for your menu. Finding creative opportunities for flavor and color in March puts more green on your menu and in your register! And because the classics and “the meats” are still important, here’s a link for those too!

Green eggs for Breakfast and Brunch:

Simply add the following to a blender and blend until smooth and green. Perfect for a green egg omelet. Add diced ham for a green eggs and ham omelet.

• 12 eggs
• 4 bunch scallions (chives will work) rough cut
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 hearty pinches of Salt
• 1 hearty pinch of Pepper

Chimi up your proteins!

Chimichurri is a delicious herbaceous way to get your green on. Add the following to a blender and blend until smooth and green. Chimi is a great way to add a finishing top layer of green to steaks, seafood, or poultry.

• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 2 oz EVOO
• 3 clove garlic
• 4 oz yellow onion rough chop
• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup fresh chives rough cut
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• Salt & pepper to taste

Za’atar, the all-in-one green spice rub!

This green blend of thyme, oregano, sumac, and sesame seeds is a palate-pleasing blend that’s suitable for many applications.

• Heavily rub your burgers with it
• Toss your wings in a generous amount of it
• Mix it with ranch dressing for a fun dipping sauce
• Mix a generous amount into sauerkraut for use on a Reuben sandwich
• Make a cream sauce to use for chicken or shrimp pasta dishes

Don’t forget to use avocado, broccoli, spinach, and arugula in creative ways!

Whether it’s the star of your dish or a tasty pop of color, green produce is a delicious and healthy way to add green appeal to your best sellers. Avocado, spinach, and arugula are ideal for many menu applications. For more inspiration in the produce department, check out our seasonal produce picks.

A Scotch Egg translates to multiple layers of deliciousness; a crispy seasoned bread crumb layer, followed by a layer of sausage (in this case house-made turkey sausage) then finally you reach the egg core. The perfect multi layered appetizer if you will.

Try serving a Scotch Egg on a slider roll for a unique slider presentation. Or, if you’re more of a full-size-sandwich establishment then cut in half, place on your favorite crusty bread and top with bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo for a fun twist on a BLT… The Scotch BLT!

Jennie-O, 85-15 Ground Turkey is Item# 13721 

For another ground turkey recipe see…
Sloppy Bird Recipe

For more Turkey recipes check out our “Mystery Basket Challenge” series.
Mystery Basket Challenge

Featured for January in our 2021 UniPro calendar.
Michael Foods

Heat up your menu with this spicy breakfast bowl featuring scrambled eggs, southern style potatoes, Andouille sausage and doused in Louisiana hot sauce.

Ingredients

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a bowl, combine diced potatoes with ½ cup oil and Cajun seasoning.
3. Transfer potatoes to a sheet tray lined with foil. Roast in oven until tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
4. In a sauté pan over high heat, add the remaining ½ cup oil. Add the corn, peppers, and onions and sauté until tender and lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, add the hot sauce. Stir to combine and reserve.
6. For each breakfast bowl, divide the roasted potatoes between 8 bowls. Top with ½ sliced Andouille sausage, heated scrambled eggs, and sautéed vegetables.
7. Garnish each with ½ Tbsp. sliced scallion and serve.

Tips

• Sub in flavorful red beans for the Andouille sausage for a vegetarian-friendly option.
• Lighten it up with Garden Vegetable Egg White Patty.
• Serve with toasted English Muffin and a side of Cajun hollandaise for a deconstructed benedict.

Beets are one of the most versatile root vegetables on the market. Beets are natures edible jewel, beautiful coloration, with layers of natural sweetness and after-tones of earthy flavors.

Although beets have a long shelf life you will, from time to time, come across a few that are in the wrinkle stage; wrinkled skins and beginning to soften to the touch. These wrinkled beets are ideal to use as a brine, marinade or as a food color in baking.

The simple method for making beet brine is to thoroughly clean the outside skin, cut “wrinklers” in 1/4s and simmer in lightly salted water (4 parts water/1 part beets) until tender. Transfer the beets and water to a blender and blend until beets are completely pureed, rendering a deep beet colored liquid. From this you can move forward and make a beet based brine by cooking it with the addition of vinegar, salt, sugar and spice. Cooking until salt and sugar are dissolved. This beet brine works exceptionally well for pickled eggs or for a 48 hour brined pork.

Creative uses:

• Puree beets with a small amount of cooking liquid to render a thick & smooth puree. Add puree as needed to baked items to create a pink colored finished product.
• Use in salad dressings
• Pickle cabbage or onions in beet brine
• Create a beet based BBQ sauce
• Whisk beet puree into mayonnaise for a beet aioli
• Add beet puree to creme anglaise for a unique sauce in dessert presentations

Starting with fresh ground beef from AFG. Several egg items were added this week including liquid eggs and pillow pack hard boiled eggs. From Portland Pie Co. we’ve added retail packs of their pizza sauce. In breads and grains we’ve added 6″ top-slice hot dog rolls, a 12″ white tortilla flour from Mexican Original and a 12″ white wrap from Father Sam’s. Lastly, in fresh produce, 12/3 lb packs of Mcintosh apples are now in stock.

Dennis Paper & Food Service delivers thousands of foodservice products and supplies to restaurants and food operations in Maine and New Hampshire. If you have a question or are interested in becoming a customer contact us or call 1-800-439-2727.

Stock status subject to change. Posted 5/13/20.

First from Kaiser, a pickle perfectly sliced for hamburgers, chicken burgers or any sandwich alike. The classic refrigerated pickles provide a crunchy, mouthwatering, zesty flavor with long lasting snap that customers expect from a fresh, high quality deli pickle. Next from Producers Rice Mill, a new Seasoned Mexican Rice, a robust blend of premium parboiled rice, tomatoes, bell peppers, onion and seasonings. We have two new items from King’s Command, first a Chicken/Beef Meatball that is fully-cooked for your convenience. Four of the meatballs provides 2oz Eq for Meat/Meat Alternative per USDA. Second we have an All Beef Patty, fully cooked. One patty provides 2.25 oz Eq for Meat/Meat Alternative per USDA. Two more items that are school food compliant, from Sunny Fresh. First an original pre-cooked scrambled eggs with real bacon pieces and chunks of cheddar cheese to create a savory component for burritos, casseroles or breakfast pizzas. And a delicious pre-cooked scrambled eggs with a savory crumbled turkey sausage and chunks of cheddar. Next we have Paper Cups, available in three sizes, a 12oz, 16oz and 22oz. All cups are double poly insulated and have leakproof seams. They come with an Impact Design, which is very similar to the Symphony Design. Solo lids should fit. Lastly, from Highliner new Battered “Haddie Bites”. These Haddock bites are made from sustainable MSC Haddock, inspired by the East Coast, they are a twist on the traditional “fish and chips”. Perfect to pair with various flavors and can be served as an appetizer, with a main dish or as a part of your small plates offerings.

Dennis Paper & Food Service delivers thousands of foodservice products and supplies to restaurants and food operations in Maine and New Hampshire. If you have a question or are interested in becoming a customer contact us or call 1-800-439-2727.

Stock status subject to change. Posted 8/7/19.

Featuring Fire Braised® turkey breast, pecan wood smoked shoulder bacon and a medium-boiled egg on herb focaccia with a luxurious maple feta dressing.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 5 oz. Hormel, Fire Braised Turkey Breast sliced 1/4″ thick (Item #9003)
• 4 slices Hormel, Pecan Wood Smoked Shoulder Bacon (Item #16283)
• 2 ea. focaccia roll, toasted and seasoned with herbs & sea salt
• For the dressing, 2 oz. feta cheese,1 tsp. mustard,1 tblsp. mayonnaise, 2 tbsp maple syrup, salt & pepper to taste
• 2 ea. soft to medium boiled egg

Build it:

1. Dress and grill the focaccia / warm the turkey and bacon on your griddle or skillet.
2. Layer the focaccia with shoulder bacon, turkey, maple feta aioli and egg.
3. Lightly press sandwich together to burst the egg.
4. Cut in half, serve with house fried chips, or french fries, and pickle.

Tim showed the attendees some fun ways to get creative with flatbread! Versatile and delicious, here are four easy recipes utilizing flatbread; follow the instructions or add your own unique touch!

WOW BANANA WRAP
INGREDIENTS

• Rectangle WG Flatbread item #10487
• WOW Butter item #10391
• Dates
• Banana item #26105
• Granola item #7031

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring flatbread to room temperature and roll out once with a rolling pin*
   *rolling out flatbread makes it less brittle
2. Spread a layer of WOW Butter on flatbread.
3. Lay banana on flatbread, and line one side with dates. Sprinkle with granola and roll up. Cut into bite size pieces and serve!

MEDITERRANEAN WRAP
INGREDIENTS

• Rectangle WG Flatbread item #10487
• Hummus item #15052
• Feta Cheese item #3795
• Arugula, or Spring mix item #26455
• Cucumbers item #26114
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Sugar
• Salt & Peper

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring flatbread to room temperature and roll out once with a rolling pin.
2. Spread a layer of hummus on flatbread.
3. Sprinkle feta cheese, or shredded cheese of choice, on flatbread.
4. Layer arugula, or mixed greens of choice, on top of feta.
5. Take marinated cucumbers* and place on top of arugula.
   *salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar and sugar, mix together. Set cucumbers in mixture and let sit in fridge
6. Roll up, and cut into bite size pieces.

BRUSCHETTA SANDWICH
INGREDIENTS

• Circle WG Flatbread item #19403
• Mozzarella, fresh or shredded
• Tomato (or salsa) item #87467
• Basil (fresh or dried) item #7806
• Balsamic item #7242
• Honey

DIRECTIONS

1. Layout flatbread.
2. Place mozzarella on flatbread, spoon salsa or place sliced tomato on top of cheese.
3. Lastly lay basil down on the top.
4. Drizzle balsamic honey* on top of basil.
   *mix equal parts balsamic and honey in a bowl. 
5. Place other piece of flatbread on top, cut in half and serve!

GOOD MORNING FLATBREAD TACO
INGREDIENTS

• Circle WG Flatbread item #19403
• Scallions *optional
• Cheese curds or shredded cheddar item #6003
• Tomato or salsa item #87467
• Guacamole
• Dried sriracha seasoning item #18328
• Greek yogurt item #8500

DIRECTIONS

1. Warm flatbread in a pan, and layout flat.
2. Add scallions to scrambled eggs, and place on top of flatbread.
3. Lay tomato, or salsa on top of eggs, and top with cheese curds or shredded cheese and guacamole.
4. Next finish off with sriracha yogurt*
   *mix greek yogurt, salt, pepper and dried sriracha seasoning to taste. 
5. Fold up like a taco and serve!