{"id":14329,"date":"2013-01-24T14:06:01","date_gmt":"2013-01-25T00:06:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/?p=14329"},"modified":"2020-12-24T11:25:59","modified_gmt":"2020-12-24T21:25:59","slug":"review-lean-pockets-limited-edition-chicken-carbonara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2013\/01\/24\/review-lean-pockets-limited-edition-chicken-carbonara\/","title":{"rendered":"REVIEW: Lean Pockets Limited Edition Chicken Carbonara"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Lean<\/a><\/p>\n

New year, new Limited Edition Lean Pocket. <\/p>\n

I\u2019ve reviewed a lot of Hot Pockets and Lean Pockets on this site\u2026 and I\u2019ve realized that there comes a point when every Hot Pocket starts to taste the same. It could be because I\u2019ve burned my mouth so many times eating these things that I\u2019ve lost my sense of taste, but I think it goes deeper than that. <\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong, it\u2019s clear that Lean Pockets and Hot Pockets come in a wide variety of flavors, and Hot\/Lean Pocket connoisseurs would argue that each Hot\/Lean Pocket is its own unique creation, like a snowflake\u2026 or a TSA patdown. <\/p>\n

But let\u2019s get real here. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s very little you can do to mess this thing up (see my previous entry on the Limited Edition Four Cheese Garlic Pasta Bake Hot Pocket<\/a> for examples of how this could be done) \u2013 it\u2019s a toasted crust stuffed with meat, sauce, cheese and\/or veggies. Culinary Rocket Science, it\u2019s not. The result is that there\u2019s never much to explore or even to improve upon with this fairly simple microwaveable sandwich, and the new Limited Edition Chicken Carbonara Lean Pocket does little to dissuade me of this notion.<\/p>\n

The Limited Edition Chicken Carbonara Lean Pocket has a decent flavor but has little to distinguish itself from all the other Lean Pockets in the freezer aisle. It\u2019s crispy, gooey, savory and piping hot just like a Lean Pocket should be. But the only thing making this Limited Edition Lean Pocket different from its toasty brethren is the inclusion of those tiny mushy globules we call peas. Did you know that carbonara sauce is a mixture of eggs, cheese, bacon and black pepper\u2026 and has nothing to do with peas?<\/p>\n

Peas may populate carbonara dishes the world over now, but back in the day when carbonara was created (like in WWII or something), it was all about the eggs and bacon. Lean Pockets don\u2019t care. Lean Pockets is all, “We\u2019ve got your cured bacon, your Italian spices, and your parmesan cream sauce with peas, so dig in, you crazy carbonara lovers!” I don\u2019t hate peas or anything, but you can\u2019t depend on peas. We learned that in WWII.<\/p>\n

\"Lean<\/a><\/p>\n

Anyway, this thing also has mozzarella and grilled white meat chicken to accompany the bacon, peas and parmesan cream sauce. The chicken is okay, but the bacon is really the major selling point here. I don\u2019t think that anyone can argue against the presence of bacon in this Lean Pocket. What\u2019s better is that the bacon chunks seem to be evenly spread throughout the sandwich along with the parmesan cream sauce, creating a delicious m\u00e9lange of savory flavors from end to end. As for the Italian style herb crust, it\u2019s warm and crispy and good. No complaints here.<\/p>\n

\"Lean<\/a><\/p>\n

The Limited Edition Chicken Carbonara Lean Pockets aren\u2019t all that different from some of the other Lean Pockets out there, especially those from the Culinary Creations line, which seem to specialize in seasoned crusts. If someone who hasn\u2019t eaten nearly EVERY SINGLE Lean Pocket or Hot Pocket on the planet were to sample this new Chicken Carbonara Lean Pocket, they would probably delight in what they\u2019d think is its amazingly unique flavor and composition. <\/p>\n

I can\u2019t, however.<\/p>\n

My enthusiasm for this Lean Pocket is as dead as the skin on the roof of my mouth now. <\/p>\n

(Nutrition Facts \u2013 1 sandwich \u2013 260 calories, 7 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 540 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, 9 grams of protein, 4% vitamin A, 15% calcium, and 10% iron.)<\/small><\/p>\n

Item:<\/b> Lean Pockets Limited Edition Chicken Carbonara
\nPurchased Price:<\/b> $2.99
\nSize:<\/b> 2 sandwiches
\nPurchased at:<\/b> Vons
\nRating:<\/b> 6 out of 10
\nPros:<\/b> Eternally hot. Creamy sauce. Delicious chunks of cured bacon. Crispy seasoned crust.
\nCons:<\/b> You can\u2019t depend on peas. Mouth burns. Mid-century global conflicts. Lean Pockets don\u2019t care.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New year, new Limited Edition Lean Pocket. I\u2019ve reviewed a lot of Hot Pockets and Lean Pockets on this site\u2026 and I\u2019ve realized that there comes a point when every Hot Pocket starts to taste the same. It could be because I\u2019ve burned my mouth so many times eating these things that I\u2019ve lost my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1440],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13499,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2012\/09\/24\/news-lean-pockets-goes-limited-edition-with-a-three-cheese-tomato-melt-variety\/","url_meta":{"origin":14329,"position":0},"title":"NEWS: Lean Pockets Goes Limited Edition With a Three Cheese Tomato Melt Variety","author":"Marvo","date":"September 24, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Since 2011, there have been several limited edition Hot Pockets. 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What a battle we had between the Mexican Mercenary and the Italian Stallion! 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In this corner, weighing in at nine ounces, packing seven grams of fat and 280 calories, known\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8493,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2011\/01\/31\/review-lean-pockets-pretzel-bread-sandwiches-grilled-chicken-jalapeno-cheddar\/","url_meta":{"origin":14329,"position":3},"title":"REVIEW: Lean Pockets Pretzel Bread Sandwiches Grilled Chicken Jalape\u00f1o Cheddar","author":"Kelley","date":"January 31, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I've always generally regarded Hot Pockets as the fast and easy food favored by stoners and people who pee into empty Mountain Dew bottles so they don't have to leave their computer chair and risk missing part of their guild's raid. 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