Store-Bought Tamale Sauce Is The Affordable Secret Your Breakfast Needs

The great thing about sauces is that they always have a way of surprising you with how transformative they can be. Crack open the lid, and the smell alone is enough to awaken the senses — even when it's seven in the morning and you're still bleary-eyed. During breakfast, when it almost feels as though you're stuck in a loop with the same few things every day, just a splash of a new sauce can change that in a second. Tamale sauce, unexpectedly, is the affordable twist you've been longing for.

No need to purchase pricey ingredients or dine out. You don't even need to simmer up a pot the day before — a store-bought bottle will suffice. While it may not come directly from a pot of homemade spicy beef tamales, it will still offer the intensity you need for an exhilarating breakfast. The first thing you'll taste is the tangy, hearty base, adorning the kind of depth that you would've had to spend hours stirring on the stove. As that richness unravels, you'll also spot smoky hints from the dried chiles, the unmistakable aromatic pungency of garlic, and the spices' earthy nuances.

Since eggs have long become the ultimate breakfast staple, it only makes sense to imagine all that heat and warmth, ladled over a plate of scrambled eggs or an omelette. That softly savory, sometimes a bit buttery flavor base is no longer a monotonous part of your daily routine. Instead, it's drenched in a complex vibrancy that brightens up your morning instantly.

When breakfast is mentioned, scrambled eggs are one of the first things that come to mind. Already so soft and fluffy with a subtle eggy richness, a blanket of tamale sauce only makes it better. It can be as simple as drizzling the sauce over the eggs — much like you would with ketchup and other condiments. Other times, stirring the sauce straight in as you're cooking the eggs works.

Fried eggs, whether meant for a full English breakfast, toasted bread, or breakfast tacos, could always use a splash of tamale sauce for intrigue and excitement. Serve it with any other Tex-Mex essentials you have, like chili con carne, pico de gallo, or sour cream to further diversify the taste profile. A plateful of fried eggs with runny yolks, refried beans, and some leftover tamales on the side could make for one flavorful kickstart to the morning. The best part? The ingredients are all just a quick reheat away from ending up on your table.

If you like your egg breakfasts steaming hot from the oven, a tamale breakfast casserole is the dish to make. Get creative with whatever you have in the fridge, but sometimes, a few beaten eggs, tamale sauce, a can of beans, and a handful of shredded cheese will be more than enough for a satisfying meal. Similarly, a skillet full of chopped-up tamales, their sauce, potato cubes, and a few eggs can make for one spectacular tamale hash.