Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Muddy Buddies Pretzel Bites

Julie 3 Comments

Muddy Buddies Pretzel Bites Pouches

What are Muddy Buddies Pretzel Bites?

General Mills extends its Muddy Buddies line with crunchy pretzels covered in sweet coating and powdered sugar. Pretzel Bites come in two varieties: Peanut Butter & Chocolate and Cookies & Cream.

How are they?

A decade after introducing Chex Muddy Buddies, General Mills has asked, “What else can we muddy, buddy?”

The answer to that question (and countless life dilemmas, really) is “When in doubt, add salt.”

Thus, Muddy Buddies Pretzel Bites were born. With their flavor, texture, and ability to be eaten by the bowlful before you realize what you’ve done, pretzels seem like a natural swap for Chex cereal pieces as vehicles for sweet coating.

Muddy Buddies Pretzel Bites CPB Pour Size

Tearing into the Peanut Butter & Chocolate variety first, I was surprised by their small size. The pebble-sized pretzels are made for nibbling rather than biting. They could easily blend into a trail mix or masquerade as a dessert topping.

Muddy Buddies Pretzel Bites Chocolate Peanut Butter Split

Although the bites are small and the coating looks thin, the peanut butter and chocolate taste is big, complementing the pretzel taste and texture well. While the pretzel salt isn’t discernible on its own, it seems to enhance the chocolate and peanut butter. This was a welcome change from the Chex version, which I’ve found to lack flavor despite its sweetness.

Muddy Buddies Pretzel Bites Cookies Cream Pour

The Cookies & Cream variety delivers the same size and satisfying crunch, but this time with a white cream coating and chocolate cookie crumb speckles. The bites smell and taste like the inside of an ice cream shop: that sugary, creamy vanilla that is somehow both rich and refreshing.

Muddy Buddies Pretzel Bites Cookies Cream Split

While the chocolate cookie crumbs don’t contribute much to the flavor, the saltiness is much more noticeable than in the Peanut Butter & Chocolate variety.

Anything else you need to know?

For the uninitiated, the homemade version of muddy buddies has long been a staple of holiday parties and other celebrations, especially in the Midwest. (In northwestern Pennsylvania, where I live, the delicacy is most commonly called puppy chow, a name that I admit is not particularly appetizing but to which I have a begrudging loyalty.) As social media has made the treat and its several variations more popular, it’s exciting to see “muddiness” being embraced.

Conclusion:

Muddy Buddies Pretzel Bites deliver big flavor and crunch in a tiny bite. Sweet and salty fans might prefer Cookies & Cream, while Peanut Butter & Chocolate traditionalists will enjoy the twist on the original product.

Purchased Price: Free
Purchased at: Received from General Mills
Size: 4 oz (113 g) bags
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Peanut Butter & Chocolate), 7 out of 10 (Cookies & Cream)
Nutrition Facts: (per 1/3 cup) Peanut Butter & Chocolate – 130 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 240 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Cookies & Cream – 130 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 250 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Papa John’s Parmesan Crusted Papadia

Tiffany 3 Comments

Papa John s Parmesan Crusted Papadia Full

In the pizza chain innovation playbook, it’s a must to mess with the crust. So Papa John’s stayed true to form with the new Parmesan Crusted Papadia.

While it’s a standard play to jazz up the crust, the execution is actually pretty genius because it takes a unique offering in the crowded chain pizza space and makes it more unique. It also delivers exactly as promised — a Papadia with a nice crispy parmesan exterior.

The addition can be ordered with any of the existing varieties. It’s a one-dollar upcharge. I went with my favorite one thus far — the Meatball Pepperoni.

After opening its box, I could immediately tell it was cheese crusted from its golden hue. It was like someone folded a doily made of cheese onto the Papadia.

Papa John s Parmesan Crusted Papadia Seeing Crust

The visible shredded dairy melded onto the surface was reminiscent of the pizza chain’s garlic parmesan crust. But this version is so much better because of the added surface area and the wispy cheese edges like the overflow on a grilled cheese sandwich. 2?r now equals C for cheese!!!

Said cheese doily didn’t take away from or overpower the existing meat and tomato sauce flavors. It complemented them really well with extra savoriness that culminated in a much cheesier taste than the original version. I also enjoyed the added texture to each bite. It’s not crunchy like eating Cheetos, but rather it’s more like a light crispness, similar to eating a parmesan crisp!

Papa John s Parmesan Crusted Papadia Bites

With all that said, this cheese-crusted version was a little less “handheld happiness” than the original, as the parmesan crust left quite the oily residue.

All things considered, I would pay the extra dollar for the crispy goodness again and again.

I’m actually secretly hoping that this catches on at other chains and even local pizza joints. Can you imagine an added cheesy exterior like this on a folded NY-style pizza?! SHEEEEEESH (as the TikTokers would say).

This is innovation at its finest, people!! Simple but effective and delicious.

Purchased Price: $7
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (Not available on website, but here’s the info for a regular Meatball Pepperoni) 940 calories, 49 grams of fat, 21 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 140 milligrams of sodium, 2390 milligrams of sodium, 79 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 42 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Pop-Tarts Mister E Flavor

Rachel 35 Comments

PopTartsMisterE 1 pkg

What is Pop-Tarts Mister E Flavor?

Pop-Tarts is rolling out its first-ever mystery flavor, and since it’s really into humanizing its products lately with hair, eyewear, and backstories, we have Mister E — a mustachioed investigator in shades who’s hellbent on cracking the case of who broke into the Pop-Tarts factory to create this new flavor. Vigilante P.I. tracking down off-hours criminal pastry enterprises. Mmmmkaaayyyy…

PopTartsMisterE 2 back

How is it?

The aroma in the package didn’t give much away, but the filling was white, so I started thinking coconut. But the second I bit into Mister E Pop-Tarts, the word BUTTER shot through my brain. They were sweet and savory in a really strange way – both tastes were competing for the spotlight. Maybe they were Terrible Buttercream Frosting flavor? I had to drag someone else into the mystery – their guess was swiss cheese. Now when I re-tasted, that seemed closer – a mild cheese flavor. But it still felt wrong – a wrong guess AND a wrong flavor to exist in the world.

PopTartsMisterE 3 fill

There’s a related contest website where you can get clues and enter your guess to win prizes. I’ve figured out the flavor based on the clues, and I will say it’s NOT any of the guesses above. But I’ll let you make the call…

Anything else you need to know?

These were very crumbly and started falling apart the moment I opened the foil wrapper. Once toasted, they broke into large and small pieces that promptly fell into the unreachable crevices of my toaster (ugh). I hope Mister E can solve the mystery of how to get melty, funky Pop-Tart crumbs out of small appliances.

PopTartsMisterE 4 toast

Conclusion:

Not the best Pop-Tart flavor I’ve ever tried – in fact, maybe the worst, but I loved trying them! This is exactly what mystery flavors should be – the questionable stuff we definitely wouldn’t buy if they called it what it is.

PopTartsMisterE 5 design

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample from Kellogg’s. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 27 oz./16-pastry box
Purchased at: Received from Kellogg’s
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 pastries) 380 calories, 10 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 500 milligrams of sodium, 68 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 24 grams of total sugars, including 24 grams of added sugars, and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s Hand-Breaded Chicken and Waffle Sandwich

BrandonP 8 Comments

Carl s Jr Hand Breaded Chicken and Waffle Sandwich Full

The origin of fried chicken and waffles has been hotly contested as the dish has seen a surge in popularity over the past decade. I’m inclined to believe the Well’s Supper Club story, a restaurant started in 1930s Harlem that hosted hungry jazz musicians after their late night sets. Having leftover fried chicken from the night before and waffle batter ready for the impending breakfast service, the cooks would throw together the now iconic dish out of necessity. It quickly became popular around the clock.

Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr. has now introduced a sandwich version, placing their hand breaded chicken breast between a Belgian waffle and adding a drizzle of maple butter sauce. The inviting maple syrup smell wafts out of the fast food bag, while the less inviting $5.99 price tag for a breakfast sandwich sets the expectations high.

Carl s Jr Hand Breaded Chicken and Waffle Sandwich Top

The hand breaded chicken breast has a light crispy coating that is fried to perfection. While it could benefit from a stronger punch of spices in the breading, they are well balanced with one another. The brined chicken is extremely juicy and flavorful with the one drawback of being just on the verge of too salty.

Carl s Jr Hand Breaded Chicken and Waffle Sandwich Split

The waffle walks the line admirably of being durable enough to not make a mess yet still tender enough to be pleasant to eat. It is slightly dense for a Belgian waffle but has the right subtle hint of sweetness. The main issue is that it is a small waffle that was then split in half to make the sandwich as opposed to utilizing two small waffles together. This leaves the waffle bun very thin and easily overpowered in flavor and texture by the chicken.

The maple butter sauce glazes the top of the chicken perfectly but predictably seems to be butter-flavored pancake syrup or maple-flavored corn syrup. It adds a necessary sweetness and maple flavor that ties the sandwich together. Not using real whipped maple butter seems like a missed opportunity that would have easily elevated the offering. Regardless, there was just the right amount of sauce without turning the waffle soggy and making the whole sandwich a sticky mess.

In my opinion, a plate of chicken and waffles is not complete without hot sauce, so I requested some at the drive-thru window. But despite assurances, I drove off with none in my bag. After evaluating the sandwich on its own merits, I used a cayenne hot sauce I had at home to see how it would fair with the addition. The heat and vinegar paired perfectly with the chicken and waffle sandwich, making me instantly regret already giving the second sandwich to my wife.

Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr. has made the Chicken and Waffle sandwich available all day. It makes a good pairing with your morning coffee or a late night snack to satisfy your sweet and salty cravings. Just be sure to bring a coupon and have your own hot sauce ready.

Purchased Price: 2 for $6 with coupon (regularly $5.99)
Purchased at: Carl’s Jr.
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 560 calories (other nutritional numbers weren’t available at time of publication)

REVIEW: McDonald’s BTS Meal

Marvo 20 Comments

McDonald s BTS Meal

I might not be the best person to review McDonald’s BTS Meal because I don’t think I’ve ever heard a BTS song prior to this review.

(I’ll pause here to let you loudly gasp and then sing angrily at my ignorance your favorite BTS song through your screen. I apologize.)

I wrote, “I don’t think” because nowadays, I almost never listen to the radio, and when something just so happens to be playing, and because I’m super lame, I never know who’s singing it. So one of those times might’ve been BTS.

So I thought, to appropriately review this Chicken McNuggets meal with Cajun and Sweet Chili dipping sauces, maybe I should knowingly listen to a BTS song, so I can understand why this fast food combo appeals to Jin, V, um, and the other members I can’t remember off the top of my head that many of you are probably yelling through your screen right now. I apologize.

My first BTS listening experience was with the group’s latest song, “Butter,” which I watched on YouTube. I should point out that it was the original version and not the “Hotter Remix.” After the song was done, I thought, “That sure was a catchy ditty. I think that might be my summer jam.”

Fifty-four listens later (and counting) and several poor attempts to mirror the side step right, left moves in the video that led to a sprained ankle, I’m pretty sure it’s my 2021 Summer Jam.

Even with one song swirling around in my head, I might not be the best person to review McDonald’s BTS Meal. But then again, I might be the best person to review McDonald’s BTS Meal because I order Chicken McNuggets 8 out of 10 times when I go to McDonald’s for lunch or dinner. Also, being a McNugget sauce hoarder helps with my qualifications.

McDonald s BTS Meal Sauce Hoarding

McDonald s BTS Meal Sauces

Speaking of sauces, I’m just going to review the Sweet Chili and Cajun dips because almost all of you know what McDonald’s French fries and McNuggets taste like, which are fried heaven and battered and fried heaven, respectively.

McDonald s BTS Meal Sweet Chili

A Sweet Chili sauce isn’t new to the US. It made an appearance back in 2010. But, comparing the ingredient lists shows that this 2021 version is a bit different. Much like the original one, this tastes like the sauce that comes with spring rolls. However, this one has a better sweet and spicy punch than the one that came out over a decade ago, which I thought was bland.

McDonald s BTS Meal Cajun

As for the Cajun one, after dipping my pinky finger into it and then tasting it like I was a TV cop trying to figure out if the cocaine is authentic, I thought it reminded me of my beloved Hot Mustard, but with some noticeable differences, mainly being not as spicy or mustard-y. With it being close to my favorite McNugget dip, I can’t help but love this Cajun sauce more than the other.

McDonald s BTS Meal Tiny Heart
I think my McNuggets were trying to make a tiny heart hand sign.

The previous McDonald’s celebrity meals with J Balvin and Travis Scott can be recreated with some customizations. But the BTS Meal probably won’t be because of the two limited edition McNugget sauces, which are both tasty and worth a try, whether or not you love (or know of) BTS.

Purchased Price: $7.99
Size: Medium
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (Sauce nutrition facts not available on McDonald’s website, so here are the numbers for just a medium fries and 10-piece McNuggets) 740 calories, 40 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol, 1100 milligrams of sodium, 68 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 28 grams of protein.