REVIEW: Taco Bell Steak & Queso Crunchwrap Sliders

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Awww. These Taco Bell Steak & Queso Crunchwrap Sliders are so adorable. I just want to hug them, squeeze them, dip them, and gobble them up. Nom nom nom nom. Oh wait, they’re gone.

Okay, the two Crunchwrap Sliders are not small enough to finish in four noms.

The mini menu item features marinated steak, a mini tostada shell, creamy chipotle sauce, cheddar cheese, and pico de gallo wrapped in a tortilla and grilled. An order comes with two sliders and a container of the chain’s new green chile queso.

You might think their size would make them cheaper, but an order is about the same price as a regular Crunchwrap Supreme. I didn’t break out my scale to compare their weights, but having had so many hexagonal-shaped Crunchwraps that I always think of the menu item when I see a soccer ball, the regular-sized version seems heftier than the two sliders combined, which makes them pricey.

While they seem expensive, they are also meaty. Carnivores would approve of the amount of steak in these. With them being so small, there’s not enough room for the usual Taco Bell fillers of rice, beans, and air. (Okay, there’s a little bit of air.) Because there isn’t much in terms of fillings, the steak stands out the most. The tostada mainly provided a slight crunch, and the pico de gallo had an acidic tomatoey punch. As for the smoky chipotle sauce, it wasn’t too noticeable as I nommed my way through the sliders, so it might’ve been lightly applied to my tiny Crunchwraps.

But the chipotle sauce isn’t the headlining condiment here. It’s the green chile queso. It’s not a bold dipping sauce; oddly, its cheesiness sometimes brings to mind mac and cheese. It’s okay, but I’d swap out the green chile queso for something more flavorful.

While adorable, Taco Bell’s Steak & Queso Crunchwrap Sliders aren’t as big as or a value item like the original Crunchwrap Sliders that came out over a decade ago. Also, the new green chile queso is lacking a bit, so I’m not sure I would gobble these up again.

Purchased Price: $6.59*
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 sliders) 410 calories, 20 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 880 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 16 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: Hershey’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch Kisses

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Cinnamon Toast Crunch has been having a bit of a moment with a host of new-ish to hot-off-the-presses products and flavors (including Strawberry and, if you were lucky/crazy enough to win a recent sweepstakes, a collaboration with TOTINO’S freaking PIZZA).

Hershey’s Kisses is also an iconic snack brand that has recently been flirting with souped-up special editions (Butterbeer, anyone?) So, it might not be surprising to learn that these two powerhouses have gone ahead and teamed up for Cinnamon Toast Crunch Hershey’s Kisses—and if you’re like me, an aficionado of both overly sweet cereal and white crème candy, this is a total dream come true.

I had a good feeling the moment I found these on proud display at Target. The indulgently enormous Share Pack size promises luxurious abundance, and the appealing design of the bag—a crisp white with friendly swirls of star-studded bright green, purple, orange, and blue to mirror the cereal’s box—is a harbinger of the high quality and attention to detail ahead. Even the wrappers, another riff on that psychedelic color palette, are delightful, suggesting much more whimsy than the classic staid silver of the OG Kiss.

I might be establishing a high bar for the candies to live up to, but when I unwrapped my first one, I wasn’t disappointed at all. They’re beautiful little morsels of white crème run through with rich butterscotch-colored stripes, reminiscent of a lighter-colored Hershey’s Hug. Oh yeah, and they smell fantastic! The cinnamon aroma is strong; more specifically, it really does seem like a Cinnamon Toast Crunch aroma, as there’s a slightly-cloying-but-not-quite-overwhelming, powdered sugar-esque sweet undertone that specifically evokes cereal rather than any old cinnamon-y baked good. Clearly, I was extremely pleased with everything I saw and sniffed, so I barely made it two steps past the self-checkout before sneaking a snacking.

They say don’t meet your heroes, but you know what? This flavor actually lived up to all of my expectations, tasting exactly as delicious as it looks and smells. Food science really is magical—if you asked a wizard to conjure up the perfect blend of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Hershey’s Kisses, this is exactly what I imagine they’d poof into existence. (Does Hershey’s have actual wizards working for them? Come to think of it, that would explain the Butterbeer Kisses…)

One more neat touch, which the product image on the packaging exaggerates but which you can’t quite see on an actual Kiss until biting into it, is the crunchy bits on the inside. According to the Hershey’s website, they’re graham-flavored, and while I didn’t immediately identify that (they seemed to me more like a fun textural enhancement with the added bonus of slightly cutting the sweetness), it made sense, doubling as both a satisfying explanation for their more subdued taste and an additional nod to the cereal inspiration.

If you’re the type of Cinnamon Toast Crunch fanatic who’ll have a bowl for breakfast, a Creamy Cinnamon Spread sandwich for lunch, and a Cinnadust-seasoned entrée for dinner, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Hershey Kisses would make the perfect dessert… and even if you like CTC just a normal amount, I promise you’ll still love these. (If you somehow don’t, don’t worry; I’d be happy to take them off your hands.)

Purchased Price: $6.52
Size: 9 oz bag (Share Pack)
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (7 pieces) 170 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 17 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Taco Bell Caliente Cantina Chicken Menu

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Following its popular Cantina Chicken Menu, which debuted last year, Taco Bell has rolled out a new Caliente Cantina Chicken Menu for a limited time.

Of course, “caliente” means “hot” in Spanish. And, of course, Taco Bell gonna Taco Bell and use the same ingredients from the regular Cantina Chicken Menu but swap out whatever sauces were in the original lineup with a new sauce, which, you guessed it, is called Caliente Sauce.

Like the original Cantina Chicken Menu, there are five items available:

Caliente Cantina Chicken Crispy Taco – A crispy taco shell filled with slow-roasted chicken, Caliente Sauce, three-cheese blend, and more three-cheese blend grilled on the outside.

Caliente Cantina Chicken Bowl – A bowl filled with slow-roasted chicken, seasoned rice, black beans, Caliente Sauce, reduced-fat sour cream, lettuce, shredded purple cabbage, freshly prepared pico de gallo, guacamole, and cheddar cheese.

Caliente Cantina Chicken Burrito – Double the slow-roasted chicken, Caliente Sauce, crisp lettuce, shredded purple cabbage, cheddar cheese, freshly prepared pico de gallo inside a grilled flour tortilla.

Caliente Cantina Chicken Quesadilla – Slow-roasted chicken, Caliente Sauce, and three-cheese blend melted inside and grilled on the outside, with guacamole and reduced-fat sour cream to dip.

Caliente Cantina Chicken Soft Taco – A warm flour tortilla filled with slow-roasted chicken, Caliente Sauce, crisp lettuce, shredded purple cabbage, freshly prepared pico de gallo, and cheddar cheese.

And all come with a free Avocado Verde Salsa sauce packet.

Because the two menus don’t differ much, other than sauces, my thoughts about them aren’t too dissimilar either. So, instead of repeating myself with this review, I’m just going to note several things with bullet points.

(If you want to read our original Cantina Chicken Menu review, click here.)

  • The Caliente Sauce and its citrusy and spicy flavor is an upgrade over the sauces in the regular Cantina Chicken Menu.
  • If I had to rank the items from least favorite to favorite, I’d go soft taco, quesadilla, burrito, bowl, and crispy taco. Not surprisingly, it’s how I ranked the original menu.
  • While getting free Avocado Verde Salsa sauce packets is great (it costs 20 cents to buy them usually), I preferred eating these without them. While it adds some avocado flavor, it can also negate the Caliente Sauce’s peppery and citrus flavors.
  • The Caliente Sauce isn’t too caliente at first, and it takes several bites to build up to a decent heat. At some point, my head started to sweat a little, and after eating, my nose was a little runny. However, I did eat a lot of it since I tasted multiple items with the sauce in one sitting.
  • According to the ingredients list, the sauce contains ghost pepper and jalapeño.
  • I got a container of the Caliente Sauce on the side. It was supposed to go with the quesadilla, which had no sauce inside. I added it to the quesadilla but also dumped some on my Cantina Bowl because it didn’t look like enough sauce.
  • The slow-roasted chicken is tender but not flavorful enough to eat these menu items without the sauce.
  • The cheese grilled to the outside of the crispy taco is still great. Adds a great cheesiness.
  • Purple cabbage is still a wonderful addition. Its crunch is welcomed.

Overall, I very much enjoyed the Caliente Sauce, but because the sauce has a strong flavor and kick, all the menu items kind of taste the same. However, there are some slight differences here and there, like the cheesiness with the crispy taco and the guacamole and sour cream with the quesadilla and bowl. But I like the sauce enough that I believe it should stay on the menu as a spicy Cantina Chicken Menu option.

Purchased Price: $3.79 (Crispy Taco), $9.99 (Bowl), $7.59 (Burrito), $7.99 (Quesadilla), $3.99 (Soft Taco)*
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Crispy Taco), 7 out of 10 (Bowl), 7 out of 10 (Burrito), 6 out of 10 (Quesadilla), 6 out of 10 (Soft Taco)
Nutrition Facts: Crispy Taco – 290 calories, 17 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 540 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 15 grams of protein. Bowl – 480 calories, 23 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 1150 milligrams of sodium, 43 grams of carbohydrates, 10 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 24 grams of protein. Burrito – 450 calories, 21 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 70 milligrams of cholesterol, 1090 milligrams of sodium, 42 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 24 grams of protein. Quesadilla – 560 calories, 30 grams of fat, 16 grams of saturated fat, 85 milligrams of cholesterol, 1340 milligrams of sodium, 43 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 29 grams of protein. Soft Taco – 210 calories, 9 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 510 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 12 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: Cheetos Crunchy Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle

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There are pickle-flavored things EVERYWHERE.

In the same way that the early 2000s brought us bacon-flavored everything, it seems we’re in the middle of a pickle-flavored time period. Perhaps capitalizing on the TikTok trend of dipping a pickle into cream cheese and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Frito Lay has recently launched Cheetos Crunchy Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle.

Like its original Flamin’ Hot brethren, this snack is an enticing fire engine red color courtesy of Red 40 Lake and Yellow 6 Lake. I was half expecting to see little dill flakes here and there but my eyes didn’t pick up on any.

Although the bag provided a hefty waft of undeniable pickle scent upon opening, I couldn’t tell from the ingredient list if vinegar or dill were actually added or if they were swept up under the “Natural Flavors” or “Spices” ingredient declarations.

But WHOA, these do taste like pickles. The overwhelming flavor is brine-y vinegar with a lingering dill aftertaste. The heat from the Flamin’ Hot “cheetle” is absolutely in the mix as well. In fact, the vinegar flavor’s acidity and the heat compound on each other, which give these Flamin’ Hot Cheetos another sensory experience from the O.G. Flamin’ Hot. For many minutes after I was done eating, the tingling sensation of the spice hung on to my pallet, along with an intense dill and garlic flavor.

If I could make any critique at all, it would be that the brine and acidic flavors overpower any cheese flavor or dairy notes from getting through at all. This is a hot, zingy snack. There’s almost no detectable cheese. I’m saying this as someone who prefers the undeniably cheesy Flamin’ Hot Queso Ruffles. But that’s a personal preference.

Overall, I’d say Cheetos Crunchy Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle really nailed a cultural moment on the nose. It successfully combined the expectations of Flamin’ Hot with the tang of a dill pickle brine.

Purchased Price: 2 for $7 (on sale)
Size: 8.5 oz bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (About 21 pieces) 150 Calories, 10 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 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: Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie Miniature Cups

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If you Google “peanut butter pie,” you’ll see slices of pure luxuriousness—mounds of whipped cream, swirls of creamy peanut butter filling, and, often, a chocolate drizzle or chopped up Reese’s cups for garnish.

It’s hard to imagine recreating the excitement of this no-bake classic in a miniature (!) Reese’s cup, but Reese’s has a trick up its chocolate-stained sleeve, which is peanut butter-flavored chocolate. While the brand has utilized flavored crème confection, including marshmallow, vanilla, red velvet, and, yes, peanut butter, Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie Miniatures are the first to imbue milk chocolate with flavor.

The chocolate shell’s flavor profile is equal parts chocolate and peanut butter, which amounts to Reese’s Cup-flavored chocolate. The chocolate tastes like when you have chewed your Reese’s several times and the peanut butter and chocolate flavors have melded together. When eaten whole, the cup has a slightly more peanut butter-forward taste than your average Reese’s.

While enjoyable, the flavored chocolate is hard to assess. If this were a new candy, I would be thrilled with the result. But the flavored chocolate here felt a little redundant. I didn’t feel like I was tasting something new, so much as I was beginning my familiar Reese’s eating experience at the five-second mark. Given that its namesake pie contains whipped cream or cream cheese, a flavored crème might have made more sense for this product.

It took me a while to work through my dilemma, and once I did, I remembered that Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie Miniatures utilize crunchy graham cookie pieces to represent a graham cracker crust. The crunch of these pieces is hearty (think Teddy Grahams, not graham crackers), but there is no real added flavor. It would have been cool to include a graham cracker layer at the base of the cup, and I plan on testing this hypothesis next time I buy a box of Honey Maid.

The back of the package suggests using Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie Miniatures within a peanut butter pie recipe, just in case there is not enough peanut butter pie in your peanut butter pie. It’s a suggestion I support. The extra crunch in these cups would complement a creamy pie while giving the chef the opportunity to make lame jokes about peanut butter pie inception. While a taste of these Miniatures will quell the craving for chocolate and peanut butter, the buyer’s creativity may yield a more exciting result.

Purchased Price: $5.99
Purchased at: Giant Eagle
Size: 9.6 oz (272 g) bag
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 3 pieces)130 calories, 7 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

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