Recipe - An alternative to the Burger King Cheesy Bacon BK Wrapper

I don't know about the rest of you but breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day. I could eat breakfast any time. Bacon and eggs for lunch and dinner are fine by me.

Of course many people around the world eat breakfast at fast food places, and it is well known how bad this type of fare is for you nutritionally.

While I realize those who 'eat on the go' may have no choice (or willpower to nab something else), those that are willing to do a little work can come up with a healthier and tastier alternative which is what I've done with this recipe.

I recently (yes, I admit it!) tried the new Burger King Cheesy Bacon BK Wrapper which consists of scrambled egg, smokey cheese sauce, bacon, and hash browns wrapped in a flour tortilla. While sound in concept, it falls short in a number of areas. Nutrition being the first, plus there is barely enough bacon and potato to taste, and in my humble opinion the smokey cheese sauce added nothing except perhaps calories.

I realized that I could not eat these on a regular basis, and I yearned for something like this that I could! So, concept firmly in mind I set out to make Chris' Cheesy Bacon Breakfast Wrap. I spent a few days on and off thinking about this. The hardest part was trying to find nutrition information on Burger King's offering. There is none on their site but I finally found it on an excellent site called The Impulse Buy.

See below for nutritional breakdown compared to the Burger King version, ingredients, and preparation.

Nutritional Breakdown - Burger King Version
390 calories, 24 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 150 milligrams of cholesterol, 1080 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, 14 grams of protein

Nutritional Breakdown - My Version

292 calories, 10 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 33 milligrams of cholesterol, 1190 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbs (17 grams net carbs) , 14.5 grams of fiber, 2.5 grams of sugar, 27 grams of protein

Wow! Mine has 25% fewer calories, less than half the total fat, no trans fat, 75% less cholesterol, much more fiber, and double the protein. Note it does have a bit more sodium since I am using two slices of turkey bacon and a bit more sugar (why do they add sugar to fat-free cheese anyway??). Oh, and mine, at least to my palette, tastes much better


Recipe - Chris' Cheesy Breakfast Bacon Wrap

Ingredients (for 1 wrap)

2 slices Louis Rich Turkey Bacon
1/3 cup egg beaters

1/3 cup (two ounces) Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns

1 LaTortilla Factory large low carb whole wheat tortilla
1 slice Kraft Singles Fat Free Sharp Cheddar

1 fluid ounce (1/8th cup) 2% Milk

Freshly ground black pepper

Notes:

• I have tried many brands of Turkey Bacon; nothing comes close to the Louis Rich variety; it is delicious! Other brands have been passable to something like shoe leather consistency, so, get this brand! If you have ever had turkey bacon and not liked it, and you have not had this, you just have not had turkey bacon. In some places it is now being branded as Oscar Mayer with the Louis Rich in smaller type. Same product, available at many grocery stores and Costco/Sam's Club.
  
• Two of these wraps make a nice dinner. If you wish to make more than one, multiply the ingredients above by the number of wraps you wish to make.
  

Preparation:

• Lightly spray with Pam-type no stick spray a non-stick skillet and cook turkey bacon how you like it, be it crispy or not, turning once.
• Remove pan from heat and remove turkey bacon from pan. Lightly spray pan again with Pam and add shredded potatoes. Cook until lightly browned (or more depending on preference).
• While potatoes are cooking lightly whisk egg beaters and milk. Make sure potatoes are distributed evenly over the bottom the pan and then slowly pour in egg beaters mixture. Lightly sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Cook covered over low heat until top is done. Uncover and remove from heat.
• Cut cheddar cheese slice in half and place end to end on tortilla along with two strips of bacon, and add contents of pan. If making more than one wrap divide contents of pan across tortillas after proceeding above with cheese and bacon for each one. Roll up, eat, and enjoy!

WHY does eating out have to be so bad for you at fast food places? Here is a very satisfying breakfast wrap that is much better for you.