REVIEW: Jack in the Box Wakey Bakey Hash Munchie Mash-Up

Jack in the Box Wakey Bakey Hash Munchie Mash Up

There’s something about intoxication that draws people back to the basics. Whether it’s been a long night at the bar or a lost weekend at Bonnaroo. By the end, everyone’s palate reverts to an almost childlike state. Cravings for the greasiest, saltiest, and cheesiest delicacies emerge.

No franchise is wiser to this trend than Jack in the Box, whose Munchie Meals have made a fortune out of serving the midnight masses. For their latest trend, Jack has brought a diner favorite – stuffed hash browns – into the fast food field.

Munchie Mash-Ups top the chain’s classic hash brown patties with an assortment of fix-ins smothered in a white cheese sauce. The Wakey Bakey Hash features a whole fried egg, bacon bits, cheddar cheese, and garlic butter, creating a sloppy sheet of breakfast standards.

Jack in the Box Wakey Bakey Hash Munchie Mash Up 2

As I was handed the hash in the drive through, I already had a sign of the meal to follow. The grease was visibly staining the brown paper bag. Opening the box revealed the culprit – the garlic butter had all pooled to a single corner. A yellow lake of greasy, salty delight. If the visuals of this box are off-putting, the taste won’t win you over.

Despite being smothered in egg, bacon, cheese, and butter – the hash brown patties were satisfyingly crisp down to the last forkful. Alone, these patties are rich and salty – dense with fryer oil. The egg, cheese, bacon, and butter weigh them down even further. Every bite is rich and fatty, full of similar flavors fighting to come out on top.

It’s the cheese sauce that typically proves victorious. When combined with the garlic butter, it creates an alfredo-esque flavor that saturates the palate like grease on a brown paper bag. Hearty and not half bad, but an odd pairing for a bacon and egg.

The egg is the same overcooked fried egg that ends up on most breakfast sandwiches, and the bacon bits are disappointingly small. They get lost in the trough of hash, which is a shame. A more pronounced protein may have been a better pick here, offering more contrast with the rich cheese and garlic.

In total, the Wakey Bakey Hash will satisfy those looking for something standard. It’s salty, cheesy, and has enough carbs to soak up the worst of hangovers. At $3, it’s also a satisfying value. But in the daylight, this hash doesn’t have the same appeal. Better versions of this same combination are available elsewhere, and won’t require you to say the words “Wakey Bakey Hash” out loud to another adult.

(Nutrition Facts – 790 calories, 570 calories from fat, 63 grams of fat, 17 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 285 milligrams of cholesterol, 1400 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 19 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $3.00
Size: N/A
Rating: 5 out of 10
Pros: Crispy potatoes. Good size for the price. Viable hangover cure.
Cons: Cheese sauce is overpowering and clashes with rest of dish. Extremely greasy. Garlic butter is unneeded.

PUMPKINUNDATION 2017 (RETURNS EDITION) – 8/23/2017

Here are some returning pumpkin products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.

Ben  Jerry s Limited Batch Pumpkin Cheesecake  2017

Ben & Jerry’s Limited Batch Pumpkin Cheesecake

Talenti Pumpkin Pie Gelato  2017

Talenti Pumpkin Pie Gelato

Here’s our Ben & Jerry’s Pumpkin Cheesecake review. (Spotted by Bob K at Wegmans.)

Purple Cow Limited Edition Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream  2017

Purple Cow Limited Edition Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

(Spotted by Chris N at Meijer.)

Chobani Limited Batch Pumpkin Spice Blended Greek Yogurt  2017

Chobani Limited Batch Pumpkin Spice Blended Greek Yogurt

Chobani Flip Limited Batch Pumpkin Harvest Crisp Greek Yogurt  2017

Chobani Flip Limited Batch Pumpkin Harvest Crisp Greek Yogurt

Here’s our Chobani Pumpkin Spice Greek Yogurt review. (Spotted by Samantha B at ShopRite.)

Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cheerios  2017

Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cheerios

Quaker Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Life Cereal  2017

Quaker Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Life Cereal

Here are our review for Pumpkin Spice Cheerios and Pumpkin Spice Life. (Spotted by @TheJoshCatlett at Target.)

Starbucks Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Caffe Latte K Cups  2017

Starbucks Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Caffe Latte K-Cups

(Spotted by Sylvia at Ralphs.)

Kellogg s Special K Limited Batch Pumpkin Spice Pastry Crisps  2017

Kellogg’s Special K Limited Batch Pumpkin Spice Pastry Crisps

Limited Edition Frosted Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts  2017

Limited Edition Frosted Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts

Kellogg s Limited Batch Nutrigrain Pumpkin Spice Soft Baked Bars  2017

Kellogg’s Limited Batch Nutrigrain Pumpkin Spice Soft Baked Bars

Kellogg s Special K Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Crunch Cereal  2017

Kellogg’s Special K Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Crunch Cereal

Here’s our Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts review. (Spotted by @TheJoshCatlett at Dierbergs.)

Voortman Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Wafers  2017

Voortman Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Wafers

(Spotted by Caitlin J at ShopRite.)

Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES: Cadbury Harvest Mix

Cadbury Harvest Mix

I’m going to harvest a bunch of these in my mouth. (Spotted by Jenn H at Big Y.)

If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you’ve tried the product, share your thoughts about it in the comments.

Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES: Tastykake Kake Chips

Tastykake Kake Chips

Tastykake Kake Chips  Salted Caramel and Birthday Kake

I want to crush these and turn them into pie crusts. I mean, pie krusts. (Spotted by Meghan H at Giant.)

If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you’ve tried the product, share your thoughts about it in the comments.

Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

REVIEW: International Delight Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Coffee Creamer

International Delight Reese s Peanut Butter Cups Coffee Creamer

I have a no-frills coffee routine every morning — two mugs with a splash of fat-free half and half. It’s my 30 calorie start to what will ultimately be a mundane day.

Ya see I’ve become a caffeine fiend (A Caffiend? ™The Impulsive Buy) as I’ve gotten older, and I often find the hot morning Joe isn’t enough to get by. I often stop at a 7-Eleven, Dunkin’, or Starbucks to indulge in an afternoon iced coffee or cold brew.

Over the past couple weeks I’ve noticed that 7-Eleven has stocked their little coffee nook with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups International Delight Creamer, and well, it’s troubling. A new threat to my boring coffee existence had reared its ugly head. Then, I found it in my local supermarket and there was no turning back.

I’m a Reese’s junkie. At this point, Reese’s could make toothpaste and I’d camp outside Rite Aid ’til its release. I’ve managed to bypass all the other candy-based creamers until now, but Reese’s?! Peanut butter in my coffee?! Obviously, I had to pick up a bottle.

After popping the top, I was hit with that unmistakable Reese’s smell. We were off and rolling.

International Delight Reese s Peanut Butter Cups Coffee Creamer 2

I figured the best way to do this review was to try it right from the bottle, in hot coffee, and mixed with iced coffee.

Coffee creamer is not meant to be drunk on its own, but I had to do my due diligence for the review’s sake. I took an ice-cold shot of this and it was ridiculously good. It was the melted Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup milkshake I never knew I needed. I had to stop myself from going back for more.

Next, I poured myself a mug of piping hot coffee and poured the same amount of creamer in. That Reese’s taste got a little lost. It did add a strong creaminess to the coffee, and the flavor was still there, but it’s subdued. I got some light chocolate with a nutty finish. It wasn’t all that different from a standard hazelnut coffee. The nuttiness wasn’t specifically peanut butter. I’m sure if I added more it would have tasted better, but therein lies the problem. I don’t want to start my morning with a cup of melted ice cream.

International Delight Reese s Peanut Butter Cups Coffee Creamer 3

So, while it’s still really good, hot coffee isn’t the best delivery system for this creamer. Iced coffee, however, was awesome. I got a plain cup of the aforementioned 7-Eleven iced coffee and added the splash of Reese’s. It tasted like Yoo-hoo with peanut butter mixed in. This definitely works better when cold.

I’m nitpicking because it’s pretty great. If I had the ability to cold brew at home, I’d have this every day. As far as the hot coffee goes, it’s gonna slip into the rotation every few days. I’m not quite ready to change my mundane existence just yet. Someday.

Someday.

International Delight Reese s Peanut Butter Cups Coffee Creamer 4

(Nutrition Facts – 1 tbsp. – 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 5 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 0 gram of fiber, 5 grams of sugar, and 0 gram of protein.)

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 32 fl. oz.
Purchased at: ShopRite
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Melted Reese’s milkshake. Spices up boring coffee. Delicious in iced coffee. Reese’s anything. Available at 7-Eleven.
Cons: Tasted worst in hot coffee. I don’t make iced coffee at home. Creaminess borders on filminess. Caffeine Addiction. More than double my usual morning coffee’s calories.