REVIEW: Ruffles Double Crunch Spicy Cheddar Jack Potato Chips

Vin 3 Comments

Ruffles Double Crunch Spicy Cheddar Jack Potato Chips Bag

What are Ruffles Double Crunch Spicy Cheddar Jack?

Double your pleasure, double your crunch, that’s the statement of the great chip, in Ruffles Double Crunch Spicy Cheddar Jack.

Ok, that intro didn’t work at all, but remember that fun gum jingle?!

How is it?

I’m a fan of any cheese with “Jack” in the name, whether it be Monterey, Pepper, Colby, or the titular Cheddar. If I see any of those as a menu option, it’s my burger cheese of choice, so naturally I liked the flavor of these chips.

I admit I don’t actually know what the “Jack” means, but the ingredients list Blue Cheese, Swiss, Parmesan, and Monterey Jack along with Cheddar and almost every powder in your spice rack.

Ruffles Double Crunch Spicy Cheddar Jack Potato Chips Bowl

They all merge into a flavor that’s about 2/3rds of the way to “Queso.” If I was blindfolded, I’d probably throw my hands up and guess “Jalapeno Cheddar,” so they deliver on their namesake.

As for the heat, I judge all spicy snacks on the “Flamin’ Hot” scale, and these are just below that. There’s an evenly dispersed, tolerable dry heat that smacks every inch of your mouth with the same intensity.

Anything else you need to know?

I live in constant fear of cracking a tooth, so take this with a grain of salt, but I don’t need my Ruffles to have double the crunch.

Ruffles Double Crunch Spicy Cheddar Jack Potato Chips Closeup

If Ruffles have ridges, these things have mountains and valleys. Who exactly was clamoring for more crunch from a Ruffle?

I know these aren’t the first Double Crunch Ruffle boasting “2x the crunch,” but they’re too hard and borderline stale tasting to me. It’s as if someone in the Frito-Lay factory screwed up while making Wavy Lay’s and just rolled with it.

If you broke down chip ridges by size, these would be a large, Wavy Lay’s would be medium and Ruffles would be a small. I like normal Ruffles best.

Conclusion:

I don’t think Ruffles needed to go the “Double Stuf Oreo” route, but if you’re in the mood for a chip with a kick that won’t leave you chugging Pepto, these are probably for you… and if you’re adventurous and like playing Russian Roulette with your molars, these are definitely for you.

Purchased Price: $2.98
Size: 7.25 oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (About 20 Chips) 140 calories, 8 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 190 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Sonic Chili Cheese Coney-Flavored Slim Jim

Brandon 6 Comments

Sonic Chili Cheese Coney Flavored Slim Jim Wrapper

What is the Sonic Chili Cheese Coney-Flavored Slim Jim?

A heftily titled snack, for starters. Everyone’s favorite dead wrestler-endorsed snack tube gets blasted with an infusion of chili-dogginess from a beloved drive-in fast food chain that used to be endorsed by a 1960s teen heart-throb/singer/beach-movie idol. This is, perhaps, the most quintessentially possible American foodstuff.

How is it?

Sonic Chili Cheese Coney Flavored Slim Jim Split

Weird! It’s a Slim Jim, right? Which we’ve all had and are familiar with. Chewy, snappy, a little spicy, but then you’re hit with the undeniably unmistakable undercurrent of chili from Sonic.

It tastes like maybe you took your Slim Jim and used it to stir up a big bowl of Sonic chili. (Side note: can you actually get just a side of chili from Sonic? I only know it from its appearances on top of hot dogs or blanketing a basket of tots.)

Anyway, the chili is spot-on. There is no noticeable cheese component, however, which feels like a miss. How hard would it have been to inject this stick with some artificial cheese? Seems like they missed an easy layup.

Overall, despite perfectly capturing the essence of Sonic’s chili, the entire thing is mediocre.

Anything else you need to know?

Sonic Chili Cheese Coney Flavored Slim Jim Casing

1) As demonstrated in the picture, this Jim degloved much easier than previous models.

2) Per a quick Google search, Frankie Avalon, the heart-throb mentioned in the first paragraph, is still alive. I feel like he would have been near the top of my “are they or aren’t they?” list. Good for Frankie!

Conclusion:

This isn’t a thing that anyone needs in their life, but if you are a big fan of snackable meat sticks, it’s probably worth a whirl. The novelty alone makes it worth trying, but I wouldn’t exactly go out of my way to find it.

Purchased Price: $1.88
Size: 1.94 oz. Monster Size
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 260 calories, 19 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 gram of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 810 milligrams of sodium, 10 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 11 grams of protein.

REVIEW: McDonald’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich (2021)

Marvo 14 Comments

McDonald s Crispy Chicken Sandwich 2021 Full

If you’ve been living under a rock for the past two years, there’s been a fast food crispy chicken sandwich war going on, thanks to Popeyes launching a chicken sandwich that was so popular, it sold out.

Since then, the number of restaurant chains that have attempted to replicate that deep-fried success goes beyond the eleven fingers on my hands. The latest to enter the war is a little fast food chain called McDonald’s.

McDonald s Crispy Chicken Sandwich 2021 Wrapper

The Golden Arches is offering three versions of its new Crispy Chicken Sandwich that feature a new southern-style fried chicken fillet — Regular (with pickles and a toasted, buttered potato roll), Spicy (with pickles, Original Spicy Sauce, and a toasted potato roll), and Deluxe (with tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, and a toasted potato roll). I ordered the first two.

Coming off those wonderful Spicy Chicken McNuggets, I felt the chain was going to do an excellent job with its new Crispy Chicken Sandwich. But, oh my goodness, they went beyond my expectations. Oh wait, wrote, “beyond.” I meant to write, “below.”

And there’s another B-word I’d like to use to describe the two sandwiches I had — bland.

McDonald s Crispy Chicken Sandwich 2021 Split

With both, the issue with them mainly starts and ends with the new fried chicken fillet. It doesn’t have any distinctive flavors that would make me want to eat it on its own. Combining that with just pickles and a buttered potato roll with the regular one ends up being a joyless event.

McDonald s Crispy Chicken Sandwich 2021 Juicy

However, I will admit that texturally these are the best chicken fillets I’ve had from McDonald’s. The breading has a nice crispiness to it, and the fillets in my sandwiches were juicy and tender. I could squeeze them and some liquid would ooze out. Its thickness was also impressive.

McDonald s Crispy Chicken Sandwich 2021 Spicy Full

McDonald s Crispy Chicken Sandwich 2021 Spicy Top

While the Spicy version includes the Original Spicy Sauce, said sauce is also as bland as the fillets and its name. It does bring some heat that’s significantly below McDonald’s Mighty Hot Sauce, but hotter than the chain’s Hot Mustard. It’s just spicy, though, thanks to the habanero peppers in it. McDonald’s puts out some tasty sauces, so I’m surprised this doesn’t have any flavor.

The only real highlight of the sandwiches was the new potato roll, which has a nice fluffiness and slight sweetness. Besides that, the pickles do bring a tangy kick to the proceedings. But both aren’t enough to save either sandwich. Maybe what’s on the Deluxe version will help.

Purchased Price: $4.99*
Size: N/A
Rating: 5 out of 10 (both version)
Nutrition Facts: Regular – 470 calories, 20 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol, 1100 milligrams of sodium, 45 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 27 grams of protein. Spicy – 530 calories, 26 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol, 1230 milligrams of sodium, 47 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 27 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 Whozeewhatzit Bar

Rachel 9 Comments

Whozee1 pkg

What is Hershey’s Whozeewhatzit Bar?

Whozeewhatzit – that sounds like that old defunct Hershey bar Whatchamacallit. What’s that you say? Whatchamacallit was never discontinued? Are you sure? Still to this day? Really? Oh, yeah, there it is right by the register. Huh. Look at that.

It turns out Whatchamacallit never left us. It’s just been hiding in plain sight while Hershey bars, Kisses, and Kit Kats got fancy new flavor releases. Well, now it’s Whatcha’s time to shine with a new spinoff! Whozeewhatzit features a thick slab of cocoa crisps topped with a thin layer of peanut butter creme instead of Whatcha’s peanut butter crisps with caramel on top. They’re both covered in a layer of chocolate.

Whozee2 inside

But wait, didn’t Whatcha have a short-lived little sister in the late ‘00s? Thingamajig? With cocoa crisps and peanut butter creme and a red wrapper… hmmm… that sounds familiar…

How is it?

It had been a long time since I’d had a Whatcha, so I grabbed one to refresh my memory. I recall it being a tasty treat, but it didn’t dazzle me the way other Hershey products have.

They both had thick and rocky centers, a bit like trail bars in texture, and a basic Hershey milk chocolate coating. The crisps were densely-packed but airy, the creme layers just skimmed over the top. The difference came in the flavors. The Whatcha was intensely peanut-buttery with the caramel taking a back seat. The Whozee was half cocoa, half PB. They were both delicious, but the Whozee flavor combo gave the bar a lightness that I preferred. I would buy it again over the Whatcha. Hardcore PB fanatics might prefer Whatcha.

Whozee3 closeup

I’ve never had the Thingamajig, so I couldn’t directly compare, but it looks exactly the same in photos. If you’ve tried both, comment below and tell us if they’re dupes.

Also, just look at these Roy-Lichenstein-inspired power pop wrappers. So pretty.

Whozee4 wrappers

Anything else you need to know?

The Whozee got its name from a contest that I hadn’t even heard about, so congrats to Lisa M. But until I see photos of you waving dollar bills and biting into a prototype bar, I will assume you’re the pen name of a marketing executive.

Conclusion:

I find the Whozeewhatzit an improvement on the original Whatchamacallit, which was already a decent, if overlooked, candy bar. Diehard peanutbutterers could be just a tad disappointed, but if you like-but-don’t-live-and-breathe PB, definitely give it a go.

Purchased Price: 2 for $2.00 (on sale)
Size: 1.6oz bar
Purchased at: Walgreens
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 250 calories, 14 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 110 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 1 grams of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, including 19 grams of added, and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Lay’s Kettle Cooked Flamin’ Hot Limon Potato Chips

Holly Leave a comment

Lay s Kettle Cooked Flamin Hot Limon Potato Chips Bag

What are Lay’s Kettle Cooked Flamin’ Hot Limón?

The newest item to get the Flamin’ Hot Limón treatment, these thicker than your average chip are dusted with that special blend of intense spices and a hint of lime. Lay’s released a plain Flamin’ Hot version of the kettle chips last year.

How is it?

While it had been a while since I tried anything “Flamin’ Hot” branded, these were enticing enough that I had to try them. The addition of the lime flavor as well as kettle chips seemed interesting and would hopefully add some layers to the Flamin’ Hot spice other than just “hot.”

Lay s Kettle Cooked Flamin Hot Limon Potato Chips Inside Bag

I opened the bag expecting an overpowering smell of chili powder, but was greeted with that earthy kettle chip smell instead. The bright red chips warned me to not underestimate them. Its spicy chili flavor hits first and hard, but then is complemented by the citrusy lime. It’s almost like a tequila shot in a chip from the way the lime comes in at the end to mellow everything. The satisfying crunch from the kettle chip makes it an all around delicious snack.

Anything else you need to know?

Lay s Kettle Cooked Flamin Hot Limon Potato Chips Closeup

Because of the spicy flavoring, these are more of a casual grazing chip for me versus my normal style of pouring a “portion” three or four times. The flavor is great, but my tolerance for spice sits somewhere between Franks Red Hot and Huy Fong brand Sriracha. After two handfuls, good as they may be, I had to give my mouth a break.

Conclusion:

Flamin’ Hot purists may not care much for the addition of the lime, but I think it makes the flavor profile much more rounded and enjoyable for the casual Flamin’ Hot consumer. I also imagine paired with a corn elote dip, these would be a major hit.

Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: 8 oz bag
Purchased at: Winn-Dixie
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (About 18 chips) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 1 grams of fiber, 1 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Philadelphia Cheesecake Crumble Desserts

Tiffany 23 Comments

Philadelphia Cheesecake Crumble Desserts Package

Self-care is Philadelphia’s new single-serve Cheesecake Crumble Dessert cups.

After nearly 150 years, the Philadelphia cheese mongers finally went beyond providing cheesecake recipes inside the package to give us the actual cheesecake!

OK, technically they call it a three-layer cheesecake with sauce, cheesecake filling, and crumble topping, but it’s all the same deliciousness to me. There are four flavors: Cherry, Chocolate Hazelnut, Original, and Strawberry.

These were so enticing and tasty that my partner ate them all before I could even write a review and he usually leaves my snacks alone. But, after I re-purchased and tried them for myself, I couldn’t blame him.

(From L to R) Original, Strawberry, Cherry, and Chocolate Hazelnut

There were two key thoughtful choices that made this dang good.

First, instead of a dense block of cheesecake filling, it was creamy and smooth with a whipped texture. Whipped cream cheese is my favorite form, but even if it weren’t, this was the right choice for easy eating with a spoon.

Philadelphia Cheesecake Crumble Desserts Toppings

Second, the crumbles were very crOnchy. Yes, cronchy. As someone who always goes for the crust first, I appreciated that it maintained its texture. No soggy crust or crumble in this house please! The amount of crumble was also just right. I was concerned that there wouldn’t be enough just by looking at it, but it was plenty to ensure a consistent eat!

I’m also extra impressed by this because I know Philadelphia doesn’t make grahams or cookies on the regular. I mentioned cookies as the Chocolate Hazelnut flavor is the only one that comes with “rich cookie crumble” and not a “buttery graham crumble.” The graham tasted like regular, crushed up graham crackers and the cookies reminded me of Oreo.

Philadelphia Cheesecake Crumble Desserts Filling

As for the flavor – let’s start with the filling first. It’s truly like having a cheesecake slice in a cup. I got the expected slight tang from the cream cheese balanced by the perfect amount of indulgent sweetness. The chocolate one tasted more chocolate pudding cup-like than hazelnut, but I still was able to taste the tanginess.

Philadelphia Cheesecake Crumble Desserts Cherry Spoon

Three of the four had an additional layer of sauce: cherry, strawberry, and chocolate flavored. I started with the cherry because I was the most skeptical of it – usually cherry-flavored foods taste like cough syrup to me. However, it definitely tasted like real fruit! It was a bit tarter than I had expected, but that was quickly solved by mixing the sauce and filling evenly. The strawberry, though, was just right for me and didn’t require any mixing! I ate the “layers” as-is.

As for the chocolate one, the sauce was negligible. I’m never going to complain about more chocolate goodness, but it was more of a visual difference given the darker color. I was hoping that this would be the hazelnut flavor part, but no dice. Regardless, it was still absolutely delicious. It wasn’t as much as a dealbreaker because unlike the fruit ones, the sauce wasn’t integral to delivering the flavor as the chocolate filling did most of that legwork!

Philadelphia Cheesecake Crumble Desserts Lids

All of this combined was like lightning in a bottle. I’m ready for a pumpkin cheesecake one for PUMPKINUNDATION season please!

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 2 – 3.3oz cups
Purchased at: Meijer
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (serving size: 1 dessert) Cherry – 290 calories, 18 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 gram of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, 16 grams of added sugar, and 4 grams of protein. Chocolate Hazelnut – 320 calories, 17 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 gram of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 240 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 26 grams of sugar, 25 grams of added sugar, and 5 grams of protein. Original – 340 calories, 24 grams of fat, 15 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 290 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 17 grams of sugar, 16 grams of added sugar, and 5 grams of protein. Strawberry – 290 calories, 18 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, 17 grams of added sugar, and 4 grams of protein.