I Tried 6 Frozen Breakfast Sandwiches and the Best Was Cheesy and Delicious

The humble breakfast sandwich is without question one of the best choices for breakfast on the weekends (although a breakfast burrito comes a very close second), and for a quick and convenient option during the week. I'm not alone in my love for this special sandwich—more Americans than ever are choosing a protein-packed brekkie sandwich over cereal. While the fast-food chains have long had popular breakfast options available (McDonald's is still the best, don't @ me), the frozen-foods section is catching up fast. But which frozen sandwiches are the best? I chose six different options and rated them in terms of taste, texture, and look, and a generous amount of cheese, because that's a non-negotiable as far as I'm concerned.

Now, obviously, we can't and shouldn't apply the same standards for a frozen breakfast sandwich as we would for one from a restaurant—but it still has to be worth the money and the calories. Every sandwich on this list has specific things in common: each one is made with sausage, egg, and cheese, on a biscuit or croissant bun. Each sandwich is widely available from a large chain grocery store, and each one can be heated in the microwave. That's where the similarities end. One sandwich was a very clear winner, although overall the selection was impressive. Here are my rankings from my least favorite to my number one fave.

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Rudi's Egg & Cheese Frittata With Sausage Breakfast Sandwich

Coming in at number 6 is the Rudi's egg and cheese frittata with sausage. I wanted to like this sandwich, I really did, because I like the idea of having a frittata instead of a standard egg. Unfortunately, this had a strange and unpleasant-tasting seasoning and where was the cheese? I couldn't even tell there was any, possibly because the seasoning was so odd and overpowering. 12 g of protein is a decent amount for 340 calories, but in the end, it wasn't enough to save this sandwich.

The look: The Rudi's egg and cheese frittata sandwich looked neat enough, with even layers of frittata and sausage that stayed together neatly, even after the microwaving process. I didn't have to risk burning my fingers to put it together as with some of the other options.

The taste: Just very odd. There was far too much seasoning on the meat and egg, and it left an aftertaste that lingered. I'm not averse to heavy seasoning if it's done correctly, but this didn't quite hit the mark. The sausage was nice but the frittata had a rubbery texture which let the whole sandwich down. More cheese would certainly have helped!

Signature Select Croissant Sandwiches With Sausage, Egg & Cheese

These croissant sandwiches from Signature Select (a Safeway/Albertsons brand) actually had a decent amount of cheese, which made me happy—but the 5 g of sugar in the sandwich made it offputtingly sweet. The croissant was soft but too hot to eat immediately, and so hard once it cooled down it could have been used as a weapon. Obviously a frozen croissant is not going to look or taste like a fresh one, but this sandwich was hazardous to my teeth.

The look: This was a very pretty sandwich and looked appealing, with a nice color to the croissant and nice layers of egg, sausage, and cheese. The meat had an appetizing look to it, as did the egg and cheese. One of the more aesthetically-pleasing sandwiches, but unfortunately the taste didn't live up to the appearance.

The taste: Underwhelming and far too sweet for a breakfast sandwich which isn't made with pancakes or a griddle bun. The hard texture of the croissant made it almost inedible, and the taste didn't make up for the texture. It was also surprisingly bland overall, with an instantly forgettable flavor. Not the worst, not the best.

Jimmy Dean Delights Turkey Sausage, Egg White & Cheese English Muffin Sandwiches

Jimmy Dean is clearly trying to offer a more "healthy" sandwich here, with turkey instead of pork, egg whites instead of whole eggs, whole grain instead of a regular bun, and a hefty amount of protein. So far, so good. Unfortunately, this sandwich was almost impossible to eat. The bread was so chewy I couldn't even get a bite out of it, which of course made it messy because I had to deconstruct it. This would not be ideal for anyone who wanted a breakfast sandwich on the go. What I did appreciate was the higher-than-average protein count at 18 g, but again, the cheese was negligible. If you're willing to sacrifice taste for a decent amount of protein and fewer calories, this may be a great option.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The look: The sandwich looked a little messy, with a small bread-to-egg ratio. The color of the bread was also slightly gray, which was not appetizing or inviting. The egg looked nice and had a good texture, not rubbery and not hard. Overall it didn't look great, and the meat was almost completely hidden.

The taste: Very bland. It didn't have much of a taste at all, and there wasn't anywhere near enough meat in the sandwich. The turkey patty was flavorless and needed more seasoning, and the small amount of cheese was not enough to save the blandness of the sandwich as a whole. The bread was not only difficult to bite, but lacked good texture and flavor. Having said that, for 270 calories, it's not the worst option.

Red's Turkey Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissant

The Red's breakfast sandwich is proof you should never judge a book by its cover. Based on its underwhelming appearance I was fully expecting a sub-par sandwich, but was pleasantly surprised by the taste and texture. For one, the croissant is by far the best of the frozen options, maintaining its flakey, buttery layers well after cooling down.

The look: This sandwich tastes much better than it looks. The croissant is a little pale and flaccid-looking, and the egg and sausage also looked a little gray and uninspiring. The layers are clearly defined although the cheese melted out even with a second attempt with a new sandwich. Nice and cheesy but I would have appreciated more cheese actually on the sandwich instead of melting out onto the plate.

The taste: The sausage was beautifully seasoned, and the egg tasted savory and fresh with the perfect amount of cheese to balance out the seasoning. Not only was this the best-tasting frozen croissant, it was also the nicest turkey sausage patty, and could easily have passed for regular sausage in terms of taste and texture. At 15 g of protein, this was a very impressive sandwich considering the low calorie count.

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Mason Dixie Buttermilk Sandwich With Sausage, Egg, & Cheese

This was a fantastic sandwich (although it's also the most expensive of all the options, at $4.49 before taxes for one sandwich). The Mason Dixie buttermilk breakfast sandwich is a treat, with near-perfect ingredients, taste, and texture. The balance of eggs, meat, and cheese was impressive, and the whole thing tasted homemade. It's a bit pricey for a frozen breakfast sandwich but you get what you pay for.

The look: The biscuit-to egg/sausage ratio was comical, with a tiny little top half compared to the bottom half. The color on the biscuit was lovely and golden, the cheese was nice and yellow instead of bright orange, and the meat was nicely caramelized. It could have been neater in presentation, but it didn't look unappetizing and stayed together nicely when picked up.

The taste: This was a very nice sandwich overall, but a special mention has to be made for the biscuit, which was flakey and buttery with just the right crumble to it. The sausage was nicely seasoned, the eggs fresh and flavorful without any rubberiness, but the sandwich as a whole was slightly too salty.

Jimmy Dean Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit Sandwiches

Ding ding ding we have a winner! There's a reason Jimmy Dean dominates the market for frozen breakfasts: This sandwich was really nice, probably the closest in taste and texture to one you'd get from a restaurant. The sausage was nicely seasoned, the egg tasty (if a little rubbery), and there was plenty of melty, gooey cheese. The biscuit was slightly spongy but still had a nice taste and mouthfeel. For a basic breakfast sandwich you can enjoy in minutes and one which won't break the bank, Jimmy Dean is the way to go.

The look: Not the most neat or appealing of all the sandwiches in terms of appearance–it was tricky keeping the layers together. The biscuit had a nice brown-ish gold color to it, and the egg and cheese looked bright and fresh, and the sausage looked robust and substantial.

The taste: The Jimmy Dean sausage and egg biscuit has an instantly familiar taste—it's strongly reminiscent of the McDonald's sausage egg and cheese, with nicely seasoned sausage and egg, and enough cheese to make even me happy. The sandwich is savory with a slight hint of spice that isn't overwhelming, so the flavors of the meat and egg really shine. At $8.99 for four sandwiches, it's an affordable sandwich to keep in your freezer for days you can't or won't cook.