REVIEW: Chicken & Waffles Pringles

/ / Reviews / 3 Comments

Chicken Waffles Pringles

I don’t know who’s been developing Pringles’ recent flavors, but they deserve an award that’s the equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize or a Pulitzer. And that award should be called the Appeties, which gets its name from the word “appetite” and not from the father of food science, Nicholas Appert.

He already has a prestigious food science award named after him. He doesn’t need another.

And when the winner or winners go up to get their award, they should be allowed to give a speech thanking all those who made it possible. And if it seems to go on for too long, like the ingredients list of many processed foods, a chorus of burps should go off in the tune of Weird Al’s “Eat It” to play them off.

Those food scientists deserve it because they’ve been doing an excellent job, and that includes Chicken & Waffles Pringles, a Dollar General exclusive flavor. It’s better than what the Frito-Lay scientists did with Lay’s Chicken & Waffles Potato Chips, which I liked, but in small doses, because it was an unusual amalgamation of sweet and savory that my taste buds could only take so much of.

Although to be fair, the Lay’s chips came out several years ago, and food technology has improved. So the Pringlentists have had years of advancements to perfect their version.

Chicken Waffles Pringles Closeup

Chicken & Waffles Pringles has a sweet aroma that reminds me of another Pringles flavor, but I’m not 100% sure which one. It might be Pecan Pie or Salted Caramel.

But while all the crisps smell the same, their flavors vary. Some start with a sweet buttermilk waffle taste. While other times, it begins with savory bursts that remind me of the chicken flavor that other Pringles varieties have, but with an underlying artificial maple-like flavor. Sometimes the onion powder included stands out, and there are moments when the crisp gets unusually salty. But most of the time, I do think of the sweet and savory dish when I eat these. And I also think I might eat the whole can right now.

While I enjoy these crisps, I can see how some folks in the “sweet Pringles are weird” camp might not like them as much as I do. Also, it might be my imagination, but these seem to be thicker than any other Pringles I’ve had.

Chicken & Waffles Pringles will never win an award, like Best Crunchy Potato Snack, or help its makers win a Nicholas Appert Award. But in a battle between it and Lay’s Chicken & Waffles Potato Chips, it’s the decisive winner.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 5.5 oz.
Purchased at: eBay (Sold at Dollar General)
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 15 crisps/1 oz.) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Hershey’s Cookies ‘N’ Chocolate Bar

/ / Reviews / 1 Comment

Hershey s Cookies N Chocolate Bar

What is Hershey’s Cookies ‘N’ Chocolate Bar?

I imagine that the Hershey’s product development team, having run the gamut by adding nuts, candies, pretzels, and even uh…air to its chocolate bars, must have turned to Xzibit in a moment of desperation for their latest offering.

After a period of intense thought, he came back to them and said, “Yo dawgs, I heard you like chocolate, so I put some chocolate in your chocolate, so you can eat some chocolate while you eat your chocolate!”

Presenting the Hershey’s Cookies “N’ Chocolate Bar.

How is it?

Hershey s Cookies N Chocolate Bar Bricks

The familiar flavor of Hershey’s milk chocolate with its light, butyric acid tang is the dominant flavor here. The chocolate cookie inclusions are the same as with the cookies and crème bar, but without the creamy white chocolate to offer contrast they only add a bit of textural interest. They’re like the puffed rice in a Crunch Bar that way, though these are much heartier. Anyone who has eaten a Hershey’s chocolate bar (a.k.a. everyone) has tasted this before.

Hershey s Cookies N Chocolate Bar Innards

Is there anything else you need to know?

The Xzibit meme is more than ten years old, which is so long in Internet years that one almost expects to find it written on a clay cuneiform tablet. The fact that I remember it tells you that I’m old, and so I claim the privilege of being a crotchety old man to say: People eat chocolate wrong! And it’s because of bars like this!

Chocolate is best enjoyed by allowing it to luxuriously melt in your mouth. You know, like the famous old person candy Werther’s Original. If you do that with Hershey’s Cookies’ N’ Chocolate Bar, you end up with a mouth full of soggy cookie bits. And so people are taught to munch down on their chocolate, and the world spins further off into chaos.

Conclusion:

There’s nothing to particularly recommend about this candy bar. The cookie bits add texture, which some youngsters may like, but do nothing to heighten its flavor.

Purchased Price: $1.48
Size: 2.5 oz./70 grams (King Size)
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (35 grams) 170 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 18 grams of sugar including 16 grams added sugar, and 3 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Limited Botch Chip Happens Ice Cream

/ / Reviews / 6 Comments

Ben Jerry s Limited Botch Chip Happens Ice Cream

Way back in 2011, before The Tonight Dough, Ben & Jerry’s and Jimmy Fallon collaborated for Late Night Snack, which threw clusters of chocolate-covered potato chips into vanilla bean ice cream with swirls of salted caramel. It was a great flavor that I regrettably only scooped once until it disappeared in 2015.

In 2020, appearing right around the annual 4/20 festivities, Ben & Jerry’s has a new collaboration with another TV giant, streaming content king Netflix, that also also features potato chips.

Chip Happens, inspired by the baking competition show Nailed It, combines “a cold mess of chocolate ice cream with fudge chips & crunchy potato chip swirls.”

Ben Jerry s Limited Botch Chip Happens Ice Cream Pint

The chocolate ice cream isn’t listed on the container as anything unique or new for B&J’s, but it looks lighter in color than what I’m used to in classics like Phish Food.

The initial flavor also tastes slightly different. It’s milkier and lighter with an almost malty undertone. It has a lightness to it that reminds me of vintage malt cups, but in the best possible way. Is this an altered base, or has the salty swirl seeped so much into the chocolate that it modifies it by accident? Either way, it works well as a base for this flavor.

Ben Jerry s Limited Botch Chip Happens Ice Cream Spoon

The fudge chips are nothing to write home about, just a smaller, more palatable version of B&J’s oft-used fudge flakes. Even though they’re unremarkable in flavor, I appreciate their smaller size, which leads to a softer texture. Not like actual fudge or ganache, but meltier and darker than the milk chocolate-leaning base.

Where this pint shines, and no doubt had to shine to be anything close to a stand out scoop, is the potato chip swirl. It’s thick, crunchy, and salty in a way that I can’t really wrap my head around.

The only times chips, pretzels, or cereals have been successful in ice cream is when they’re coated in chocolate or a thick glaze, and as far as I can tell, this is pure chip. It tastes like someone took a handful of Lay’s and tossed them right on top of the ice cream, maintaining all of the texture and fried potato flavor like they came straight from the bag.

I’ll admit I wasn’t too excited when I found this limited release Netflix flavor at Target before the first one, Netflix & Chill’d. It’s chocolate chocolate chip ice cream with some potato chips. How good could it be?! Turns out a lot better than I thought, and oddly addictive.

If this also had a caramel swirl, it would’ve ranked among my favorite Ben & Jerry’s of all time. But even without it, if you’re a fan of sweet and salty or not-too-sweet chocolate indulgences, this one’s for you. A simple textural treat that I will be happily buying again.

Purchased Price: $5.49
Size: One Pint
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 390 calories, 24 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 31 grams of total sugars, 6 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Frosted Animal Cookie Blizzard

/ / Reviews / 7 Comments

Dairy Queen Frosted Animal Cookie Blizzard

What is DQ’s Frosted Animal Cookie Blizzard?

One of the newest Blizzard treats features vanilla ice cream blended with pink confetti frosting and frosted Animal Cookies.

How is it?

I have a confession to make – I’m a grown man who absolutely loves Animal Cookies (I usually call em “Crackers”) whether they be frosted or unfrosted. All of em. The dry, crispy ones. The little Ringling Bros. boxed nostalgia bombs. And especially the pink frosted cookies.

I never once thought of using Animal Cookies as an ice cream topping, and now I feel like a fool because this Blizzard is borderline perfect.

Dairy Queen Frosted Animal Cookie Blizzard Bowl

DQ has basically made a Blizzard that completely mimes the taste of frosted Animal Cookies, while also having a hint of cotton candy and a burst of its vanilla soft serve.

This really tastes like it’s an ice cream that’s three parts vanilla and one-part cotton candy. I have to assume the combo of the cookie icing and the pink confetti icing gives it that taste, and even a look of cotton candy.

I usually find cake icing flavored snacks so disgustingly sweet I wanna bail after a couple of bites, but the flavor and sweetness level is perfect here.

Dairy Queen Frosted Animal Cookie Blizzard Cookie Closeup

The chopped-up limbs of the poor Animal Cookies who made the ultimate sacrifice maintained a great crunchy texture and added to the experience.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Dairy Queen Frosted Animal Cookie Blizzard Closeup

I do have one small complaint, though. It’s the sprinkles on the cookie pieces. Those little ball style sprinkles are hard as a rock normally, so they’re even worse when frozen. There’s enough flavor without them, so I wish those little sugar pebbles were left out of the recipe.

Conclusion:

Frosted Animal Cookies have vaulted their way towards the top of my ice cream toppings list. I will make my own concoction in the future, but I highly doubt it will match this Blizzard.

I’d absolutely recommend this, even with DQ’s out of control prices.

Purchased Price: $5.49
Size: Small
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 720 calories, 290 calories from fat, 32 grams of fat, 18 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 230 milligrams of sodium, 96 grams of total carbohydrates, 78 grams of total sugars, and 12 grams of protein.

REVIEW: SPAM Breaded Pork Patties

/ / Reviews / 13 Comments

SPAM Breaded Pork Patties

I had HUGE plans for these SPAM Breaded Pork Patties.

I hoped to top one with pineapple chutney and then put it on a bed of homemade coleslaw with a side of mashed sweet potatoes.

Then I wanted to drizzle another one with a made-from-scratch barbecue sauce, top it with a slice of smoked gouda and coleslaw, and put in a toasted King’s Hawaiian dinner roll.

Another idea was to place it on a bed of steaming rice, smother that with gravy made from SPAM drippings, top all that with a fried quail egg, and then add a side of coleslaw.

However, much like I have no idea why coleslaw is involved with every recipe, I also have no idea how to make chutney, mashed sweet potatoes, barbecue sauce, gravy from SPAM drippings, or coleslaw. So none of my HUGE plans came to fruition.

SPAM Breaded Pork Patties Curry

Instead, I added them to my Japanese curry, which I do know how to make because it only involves boiling the water the curry mix dissolves in. I also stuck one in a breakfast sandwich for SPAMs and giggles. In both preparations, they were enjoyable.

SPAM Breaded Pork Patties Frozen

SPAM Breaded Pork Patties Baked

The patties, of which there are 18, look smaller than slices one would get from a slab of SPAM, even with the breading. I’m talking width and length. When it comes to thickness, the image on the box doesn’t accurately show how thin they are in real life.

SPAM Breaded Pork Patties Thin

There are three ways to prepare the frozen patties — oven, stovetop, or air fryer. I went with my toaster oven because my kitchen hasn’t moved into the present with all those fancy doodads, like them Instagram Neti Pots and sous-veni-vidi-vici cookers.

The breading isn’t heavily seasoned, so the porky and slightly greasy SPAM flavor comes through, but it’s dampened a little from the coating. The crust also covers up the pinkness of the processed pork product, which has known to turn off taste buds. The breading also has a satisfying crispiness, especially along the edges, that maintained its texture with curry. In the breakfast sandwich, not surprisingly, it tasted like the canned meat in a breakfast sandwich. Although, the patty looked kind of ridiculous in it.

SPAM Breaded Pork Patties Sandwich

Of course, if you hate SPAM, these aren’t going to change your mind about the product.

I regularly eat SPAM, but I don’t buy cans of it because the introvert in me hates having to ask store employees to release a few from under lock and key. My consumption comes from pre-cooked foods that have it, like SPAM Musubi or whatever our fast food chains offer.

But these breaded SPAM patties are something I’d buy again because they’re not behind anything to thwart shoplifters, their flavor has that recognizable porky taste I enjoy, they have a crispy exterior, they seem to be versatile, and they’re extremely convenient.

Maybe next time I’ll be more creative with them.

Purchased Price: $9.59
Size: 27 oz./18 patties
Purchased at: Costco
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 patties) 290 calories, 22 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 33 milligrams of cholesterol, 700 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of protein.

Scroll to Top