By Flavor & The Menu
May 2, 2021
“Imagine a product that can be used similar to bacon but delivers the great flavor of sausage,” says Craig Yoder, senior product marketing manager of Johnsonville, the family-owned company that has created premium sausages since 1945.
Charlie Baggs
Enter Johnsonville Sausage StripsTM, an innovative product made from high-quality sausage, delivered in a versatile, bacon-like form. Fully cooked and available in Original and Chorizo varieties, Sausage Strips are making their debut to foodservice operators. “We’re very excited to see what kinds of new creations this product inspires on menus,” says Yoder.
The flat design structure of Sausage Strips means it can be versatile throughout all dayparts—from egg biscuit sliders and spicy nachos to piled-high burgers and Bloody Mary toppers—in starring roles or as an easy-to-layer ingredient. Sausage Strips can be served whole, crumbled, chopped or wrapped around other ingredients.
To help lead culinary development for this revolutionary product, Johnsonville partnered with chef Charlie Baggs, founder of Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovations. “Having sausage in a bacon form was really surprising,” says Baggs. “Versatility is a strong suit for Johnsonville Sausage Strips: applications from the classic BLT and club sandwiches to the double meat burger all provide craveable options.”
The texture of Sausage Strips is one of its core attributes. “The texture is firm and not crumbly, and it keeps the intended shape so that it can be used as you would bacon or even other thinly sliced meats,” he says. “Depending on the level of cooking, it can be very foldable, chewy or crispy.”
Photo credit: Johnsonville Foodservice Not Your Average Sausage & Egg Sandwich with Chorizo Sausage Strips
And then there’s the bold flavor of the two varieties of Sausage Strips: Original has a traditional sausage profile and Chorizo has a spicy, smoky flavor. “Both are extremely versatile flavors that carry well, meaning the menu applications are endless,” says Baggs. His favorite Sausage Strips dish? Chorizo on a loaded burger with jalapeños and pimento cheese.
While similar in form and function to bacon, Sausage Strips differ in a number of ways. Sausage Strips offer 9 grams of protein per serving and have 40% less fat and 30% less sodium than bacon according to USDA data for traditional bacon brands. They contain no artificial flavors or colors, corn syrup, gluten or MSG.
Photo credit: Johnsonville Foodservice Bloody Mary with Chorizo Sausage Strips
Additionally, Sausage Strips experience less shrinkage, which means better yield, and as they’re fully cooked and easy to prepare right out of the package, labor demands are minimized.
“Johnsonville Sausage Strips are a whole new protein format to add to the menu mix,” says Baggs. “Their newness creates a buzz while their flavor, flexibility and texture will keep the orders coming.”
To learn more about Sausage Strips and to request a sample, visit Foodservice.Johnsonville.com/SausageStrips.
