Method of preparing egg nuggets

1 . A method, the method comprising blending an egg-based substance, a water-absorbent thickener, and pieces of supplemental food together to form an egg-based material, the egg-based substance comprising a natural liquid egg component, the water-absorbent thickener distributed throughout the egg-based material, and the water-absorbent thickener effective to maintain distribution of the pieces of supplemental food throughout the egg-based material.

2 . The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

blending the egg-based substance and the water-absorbent thickener together to form an egg-based intermediate;

allowing the egg-based intermediate to thicken; and

blending the pieces of supplemental food with the egg-based intermediate to form the egg-based material as or after the egg-based intermediate thickens.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the supplemental food is selected from the group consisting of cheese, cooked egg, meat, fish, shellfish, vegetables, fruit, grain, and any of these in any combination.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the natural liquid egg component is selected from natural liquid whole egg, natural liquid egg yolk, natural liquid egg white, and any combination of any of these.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the water-absorbent thickener comprises chunks, pieces, particles, or crumbs of a cooked food product.

6 . The method of claim 5 wherein the concentration of the cooked food product in the egg-based material ranges up to as much as about 25 weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based material.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the water-absorbent thickener comprises a dehydrated starchy plant material, a pre-gelatinized starch, a pre-gelatinized starch-like plant extract, or a pre-gelatinized starch-like plant material.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein the concentration of the dehydrated starchy plant material, the pre-gelatinized starch, the pre-gelatinized starch-like plant extract, or the pre-gelatinized starch-like plant material in the egg-based material ranges up to as much as about 15 weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based material.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the egg-based material has a fluid, flowable consistency.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein one gram of the water-absorbent thickener is capable of absorbing at least about 1.5 grams of water during a five minute absorption period when the temperature of the water ranges from about 35° F. to about 70° F.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein the egg-based material is free or essentially free of added water.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the concentration of the natural liquid egg component in the egg-based material is greater than 70 weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based material.

13 . The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising incorporating a stabilizing agent into the egg-based mixture, the stabilizing agent selected from the group consisting of starch, gum, or any of these in any combination.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the concentration of the stabilizing agent in the egg-based material ranges up to about 5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based material, and the concentration of the water-absorbent thickener in the egg-based material ranges up to about 25 weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based material.

15 . The method of claim 1 the method further comprising incorporating a liquid dairy material into the egg-based mixture.

16 . The method of claim 15 wherein the liquid dairy material is selected from whole milk, reduced-fat milk, skim milk, dairy cream, buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt, and any of these in any combination.

17 . The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising heating the egg-based material sufficient to at least substantially coagulate the natural liquid egg component and transform the egg-based material into a cooked egg-based product.

18 . The method of claim 17 wherein the cooked egg-based product exhibits freeze/thaw stability.

19 . The method of claim 17 , the method further comprising applying batter or breading to the cooked egg-based product to form a battered or breaded egg-based product.

20 . The method of claim 19 , the method further comprising frying the battered or breaded egg-based product to form a fried egg-based product.

21 . The method of claim 20 wherein the fried egg-based product exhibits freeze/thaw stability.

22 . A method, the method comprising blending an egg-based substance and a cooked water-absorbent material together to form an egg-based material, the egg-based substance comprising a natural liquid egg component.

23 . The method of claim 22 and wherein:

the natural liquid egg component comprises free water; and

the cooked water-absorbent material comprises bread crumbs that absorb free water of the natural liquid egg component.

24 . The method of claim 22 wherein the cooked water-absorbent material comprises chunks, pieces, particles, or crumbs of a cooked food product.

25 . The method of claim 24 wherein the cooked food product is selected from the group consisting of bread, cracker, cookie, tortilla, breakfast cereal, cake, and crust.

26 . The method of claim 22 wherein one gram of the cooked water-absorbent material is capable of absorbing at least about 1.5 grams of water during a five minute absorption period when the temperature of the water ranges from about 35° F. to about 70° F.

27 . The method of claim 22 wherein the egg-based substance further comprises a stabilizing agent, the concentration of the stabilizing agent in the egg-based material ranging up to about 5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based material, and the concentration of the cooked water-absorbent material in the egg-based material ranging up to about 25 weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based material.

28 . The method of claim 22 , the method further comprising heating the egg-based material sufficient to at least substantially coagulate the natural liquid egg component and transform the egg-based material into a cooked egg-based product.

29 . The method of claim 28 wherein the cooked egg-based product exhibits freeze/thaw stability.

30 . The method of claim 28 , the method further comprising applying batter or breading to the cooked egg-based product to form a battered or breaded egg-based product.

31 . The method of claim 30 , the method further comprising frying the battered or breaded egg-based product to form a fried egg-based product.

32 . The method of claim 31 wherein the fried egg-based product exhibits freeze/thaw stability.

33 . The method of claim 22 , the method further comprising incorporating pieces of supplemental food into the egg-based material.

34 . A method, the method comprising blending an egg-based substance, a water-absorbent material, and a liquid dairy material together to form an egg-based material, the egg-based substance comprising a natural liquid egg component, one gram of the cooked water-absorbent material effective to absorb at least about 1.5 grams of water during a five minute absorption period when the temperature of the water ranges from about 35° F. to about 70° F.

35 . The method of claim 34 wherein the liquid dairy material is selected from whole milk, reduced-fat milk, skim milk, dairy cream, buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt, and any of these in any combination.

36 . The method of claim 34 wherein the egg-based material has a fluid, flowable consistency.

37 . The method of claim 34 , the method further comprising heating the egg-based material sufficient to at least substantially coagulate the natural liquid egg component and transform the egg-based material into a cooked egg-based product.

38 . The method of claim 37 wherein the cooked egg-based product exhibits freeze/thaw stability.

39 . The method of claim 37 , the method further comprising applying batter or breading to the cooked egg-based product to form a battered or breaded egg-based product.

40 . The method of claim 39 , the method further comprising frying the battered or breaded egg-based product to form a fried egg-based product.

41 . The method of claim 40 wherein the fried egg-based product exhibits freeze/thaw stability.

42 . The method of claim 34 , the method further comprising incorporating pieces of supplemental food into the egg-based material.

43 . A method, the method comprising blending an egg-based substance, a water-absorbent material, and added water together to form an egg-based material, the egg-based substance comprising a natural liquid egg component, one gram of the water-absorbent material capable of absorbing at least about 1.5 grams of water during a five minute absorption period when the temperature of the water ranges from about 35° F. to about 70° F.

44 . The method of claim 43 wherein the egg-based material has a fluid, flowable consistency.

45 . The method of claim 43 , the method further comprising heating the egg-based material sufficient to substantially coagulate the natural liquid egg component and transform the egg-based material into a cooked egg-based product.

46 . The method of claim 45 wherein the cooked egg-based product exhibits freeze/thaw stability.

47 . The method of claim 45 , the method further comprising applying batter or breading to the cooked egg-based product to form a battered or breaded egg-based product.

48 . The method of claim 47 , the method further comprising frying the battered or breaded egg-based product to form a fried egg-based product.

49 . The method of claim 48 wherein the fried egg-based product exhibits freeze/thaw stability.

50 . The method of claim 43 , the method further comprising incorporating pieces of supplemental food into the egg-based material.

51 . A method, the method comprising blending an egg-based substance, a stabilizing agent, a water-absorbent material, and added water together to form an egg based material, the egg-based substance comprising a natural liquid egg component.

52 . The method of claim 51 wherein the stabilizing agent comprises starch or gum.

53 . The method of claim 51 wherein one gram of the water-absorbent material is effective to absorb at least about 1.5 grams of water during a five minute absorption period when the temperature of the water ranges from about 35° F. to about 70° F.

54 . The method of claim 51 , the method further comprising heating the egg-based material sufficient to substantially coagulate the natural liquid egg component and transform the egg-based material into a cooked egg-based product.

55 . The method of claim 54 wherein the cooked egg-based product exhibits freeze/thaw stability.

56 . The method of claim 54 , the method further comprising applying batter or breading to the cooked egg-based product to form a battered or breaded egg-based product.

57 . The method of claim 56 , the method further comprising frying the battered or breaded egg-based product to form a fried egg-based product.

58 . The method of claim 57 wherein the fried egg-based product exhibits freeze/thaw stability.

59 . The method of claim 51 , the method further comprising incorporating pieces of supplemental food into the egg-based material.