If you'd still like to try this after reading the above, I suggest the ham variety. It contains about 100 fewer calories, 10 fewer grams of fat, 3 fewer grams of saturated fat and half a gram less trans fat than a serving of this new bacon one. Once you add the eggs, you might not even notice the chemical taste of the potatoes. I did, and I prefer fresh.

Carolyn: Frying an egg doesn't take any longer than toasting a bagel or pouring cereal into a bowl. Making an interesting egg dish with meat, hash browns and veggies takes longer and is not usually a weekday option — at least not until Jimmy Dean's frozen Breakfast Skillet products debuted last year. Sure, precut frozen breakfast potatoes and cartons of egg substitute with bits of meat and veggies were available before, but Jimmy Dean was the first to bring them all together in a single convenient, good-quality frozen form.

Unlike Egg Beaters, Jimmy Dean Skillets contain lots of meat and lesser amounts of peppers, onions and unpeeled potatoes (but no eggs). Using this new bacon variety, I had a delicious breakfast on the table in 10 minutes, vs. the 30 to 40 minutes it would have taken me to chop up everything from scratch. Two minor quibbles: Adding cheese is suggested for all the varieties, but it is included only in the Southwest Style. Why not include cheese in all of them? I also wish the package offered instructions on using these in omelettes instead of just with scrambled eggs.

---

Bonnie Tandy Leblang is a registered dietitian and professional speaker. Carolyn Wyman is the author of "Better Than Homemade: Amazing Foods That Changed the Way We Eat" (Quirk). Each week they critique new food items. For previous columns, visit supermarketsampler.com.) © Universal Press Syndicate