Tag: Chips

REVIEW: Limited Time Only Nashville Hot Chicken Pringles

Marvo 1 Comment

Limited Time Only Nashville Hot Chicken Pringles

To get an idea of what the Dollar General-exclusive Nashville Hot Chicken Pringles tastes like, you can look at the front of the can that features a sandwich with a sauced up piece of fried chicken topped with pickles. There are also cowboy hats involved, but I’m 100 percent sure there won’t be any cowboy hat flavor.

We can probably thank KFC for this, which rolled out its version of Nashville Hot Chicken two years ago and put the dish, which has been around for decades, into our culinary conscious.

While KFC’s Nashville Hot Chicken is spicy, greasy, pickle-y, and finger lickin’ good, these Nashville Hot Chicken Pringles are a little spicy with a mild pickle flavor, not greasy at all, and did cause some finger lickin’.

The pickle is the most striking, not because it’s the most pungent, but because it gives me flashbacks of Cheeseburger Pringles and all the other cheeseburger-flavored snacks I’ve had. I can’t get that out of my mind as I eat each crisp, which kind of messes with my head trying to wrap itself around the idea that these are Nashville Hot Chicken-flavored Pringles. The vinegar and onion powder don’t help either, as they also make it taste more like a burger.

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The only ingredients that prevent me from thoroughly thinking these are Cheeseburger Pringles are the cayenne and paprika, which do well to represent the chicken dish’s spiciness. The mild heat doesn’t instantly hit me. It takes eating a few before it builds up to a simmer, which is as high as it goes.

There’s also a bit of bread flavor, but I don’t get any poultry or fried flavoring initially. I like what I taste, especially the tickle of pickle mixed with some spice, and it’s worth a try. But I don’t know if does authentic Nashville Hot Chicken justice. My only experience with the dish is what KFC offers, and these crisps don’t exactly taste like that.

With all that said, I wrote most of this review before I ate two-thirds of the can. Since passing that mark, I’ve noticed the crisps I’ve eaten since then have an almost negligible pickle flavor, a stronger hot sauce flavor, and a little chicken/meatiness comes though.

I don’t know if this is some production error or something, so your can may vary. But I enjoyed the crisps a lot less this way because I want to taste the pickle’s tang.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free sample from Pringles to review. Being given samples did not influence my review in any way.

(Nutrition Facts – about 15 crisps – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 240 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.)

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 5.5 oz. can
Purchased at: Available at Dollar General
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Decent tasting flavor. Nice combo of spicy and tangy. Not as messy as actual Nashville Hot Chicken.
Cons: Inconsistent seasoning with the can I received — 2/3 of the can have a strong pickle flavor, while the last 1/3 has barely any pickle flavor. Dollar General exclusive.

REVIEW: Limited Time Only Sloppy Joe Pringles

Sean

Limited Time Only Sloppy Joe Pringles

What is and is not truly American food is a great debate, but there are some things you just can’t argue.

One such United States staple is the Sloppy Joe, aka Toasted Deviled Sandwiches aka Chopped Meat Sandwiches aka A Loose Meat Sandwich aka my mom was feeling kinda lazy tonight. The Sloppy Joe is a staple of any good American household, marrying ground beef, onions, and classic condiments like ketchup into one sauteed pan of sloppy goodness that gets slop-plopped right on top of a hamburger bun.

On the cusp of celebrating America’s annual Independence Day, Pringles has taken its often experimental seasonal offerings to new patriotic heights with the Walgreens-exclusive Sloppy Joe-flavored crisps.

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In short, they taste like meat and potatoes. The first flavor is the distinct taste of ground beef followed by tomato and then the usual Pringles potato. Sloppy Joe’s are like a burger with all of the fixins’ mixed in where the individual notes get a bit blurred, and these chips reflect that. They’re kind of meaty and herbaceous with hints of onion but never really jump out with anything special or memorable.

These remind me of Pringles’ Cheeseburger flavor without the acidic pickle pop. As I continue to eat them I keep anticipating that extra dill zing and it never comes, which disappointing. It actually tastes like it took that seasoning and removed all of the great McDonald’s-y kick. When I think of a Sloppy Joe, I think of a more pronounced sweetness. While the tomato sweetness is there, I’m missing the layer of brown sugar or vinegar I want.

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Another key component that seems to be missing is Worcestershire sauce, which is fundamental to any great Sloppy Joe. The sweet and salty sauce made with anchovies brings a layer of depth that’s missing here. They aren’t sweet like BBQ or spicy like Jalapeno or complex like Salt and Vinegar, and ultimately aren’t that exciting for a brand that puts out some wild flavors.

While Pringles tend to deliver on the flavors it promises, like the magic in its Ketchup chips, or the oddly accurate Kickin’ Chicken Taco, the Sloppy Joe lacks the American spirit that makes the sandwich such a great and simple pleasure.

(Nutrition Facts – 15 crisps – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.)

Purchased Price: $1.99
Size: 5.5 oz. can
Purchased at: Walgreens
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: It’s a Pringle so it’s stackable and crunchy and good but…
Cons: Not enough distinct Sloppy Joe flavor. Lack of depth, tastes like Cheeseburger Pringle without the pickle and fun.

QUICK REVIEW: Kettle Brand Cooked in 100% Almond Oil Wood Smoked Sea Salt Potato Chips

Marvo 4 Comments

Kettle Brand Cooked in 100 Almond Oil Wood Smoked Sea Salt Potato Chips

What is it?

These kettle cooked potato chips are made using 100 percent almond oil and seasoned with wood-smoked sea salt. To be honest, I didn’t know there was almond oil. Although, now that I think about it, I guess there would be since there’s peanut oil. Wait. Is there a cashew oil? Googling…yes. How about Brazilian nut oil? Googling…yup.

How is it?

I’ve had sea salt and I’ve had meats that were wood-smoked, but I’ve never had wood-smoked sea salt. Oddly, the crunchy snack smells and tastes like barbecue potato chips, but not as bold as any brand’s barbecue chips. They’re like barbecue lite. Along with the sea salt, they’re also seasoned with onion and garlic powder (common barbecue chip ingredients), which explains the flavor.

But here’s the 10,000 potato question: Does it taste like almonds?

No. Either the smoked salt is hiding the flavor better than I hide Easter eggs (which is out of sight and out of reach) or there’s no almond flavor at all.

Is there anything else I need to know?

They have the same hearty crunch as regular Kettle Brand chips that use safflower and/or sunflower and/or canola oil. But there are fewer chips in the bag (4.2 ounces) than regular Kettle Brand potato chips (5 ounces).

Kettle Brand Cooked in 100 Almond Oil Wood Smoked Sea Salt Potato Chips 2

Also, I wondered what benefits there are to frying in almond oil. I searched “benefits of almond oil” on Google and got a bunch of results regarding its use on hair and skin from websites that are trying to sell almond oil hair and skin products.

But I imagine for inside the body, almond oil provides the same nutrient as actual almonds do. And that’s vitamin E. But the nutrition facts don’t have it listed. The nutrition facts do show that they have less fat than regular Kettle Brand chips (7 grams vs. 9 grams of total fat and 0.5 grams of saturated fat vs 1 gram of saturated fat).

Conclusion:

As someone who enjoys barbecue potato chips, I like the flavor of these, even though it’s not what I expected. If I want barbecue chips, I’ll buy barbecue chips, not these.

Purchased Price: $3.79
Size: 4.2 oz. bag
Purchased at: Whole Foods
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz.) 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 9 grams of trans fat, 2 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 4.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Cheetos Stars Summertime Ranch

Denis 4 Comments

Cheetos Stars Summertime Ranch

Back in the olden days, there were two varieties of Cheetos: regular (crunchy) and puffs.

Those were dark times for snack food lovers, although as someone who lived through that deprived era I guess I didn’t know what I was missing. Perhaps I was even thankful to have two choices, laughing at my parents who grew up with just the regular version of cheezy goodness.

Of course, now there are so many flavors that I doubt even Chester Cheetah himself can keep track, and he seems too cool to care about such things anyway. Enter the latest addition to the list, Cheetos Stars Summertime Ranch.

Unlike many of the recent introductions, this version doesn’t feature any variation of Flamin’ Hot, spicy, fire, jalapeno, habanero or anything of that ilk. And even though cheddar cheese is far down in the ingredients, there is no orange hue and no cheese taste to these star-shaped puffs.

Cheetos Stars Summertime Ranch 2

So, what do these have to offer? Well, not a whole lot. Basically, these are plain puffs covered with Cool Ranch Doritos dust. Cheetos and Doritos are both owned by Frito-Lay, so maybe there was some kind of accident where uncoated Cheetos puffs fell into a vat of Cool Ranch dust. Or maybe someone in management just wasn’t feeling very creative and lazily decided to just combine two of their products (but wait, they are star-shaped!). Either way, the ingredient lists of both are strikingly similar.

If you are a devotee of Cool Ranch Doritos, you’ll probably like these but not love them. In puff form, these are not as satisfying as chips. These could have been more interesting with more of the original Cheetos cheese flavor mixed with Cool Ranch or even with the crunchy Cheetos base instead of puffs, but Frito-Lay never asked me. They also have not acted on my perfectly reasonable suggestion to bring Mountain Dew-flavored Cheetos to America. (Yes, that’s a real thing, or was a real thing, but only in Japan).

Cheetos Stars Summertime Ranch 3

One of my favorite things about original Cheetos is the orange dust on my fingers at the end of a snacking session. Even when the bag is gone, you still get the bonus of licking the magic dust off your digits. (I would tell you that my dog also likes licking Cheetos dust off my fingers, but that would be gross). As for the Summertime Ranch dust, it’s more of a greasy, speckled coating.

I can’t say that I’ve tried every variety of Cheetos, but I’m pretty sure I’ve munched through at least half, and this one lands toward the bottom of the rankings. Ranch flavor goes well with many things — chips, chicken wings, pizza — and I’ve even heard people use it on something called a “salad.”

Maybe it’s because the snack food industry has conditioned me to believe that Cool Ranch goes with chips and cheese flavor goes with puffs, but this flavor flip was a bit of a disappointment.

(Nutrition Facts – About 37 pieces (28 grams) – 160 calories, 10 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 60 milligrams of potassium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $1.48
Size: 2 5/8 oz. bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Pros: Nice replication of Doritos Cool Ranch flavor. Pretty cool photo of Chester Cheetah on the bag.
Cons: Lack of any Cheetos cheese flavor. Instead of magical cheese dust on your fingers you just get a greasy coating. Not really anything “summertime” about it.

REVIEW: Ruffles Mozzarella ‘N Marinara Potato Chips

Vin 5 Comments

Ruffles Mozzarella N Marinara Potato Chips

Ah yes, mozzarella and marinara – the Italian M&M’s.

Actually, in my case, it’s “mutzadel and madanada.” I make no apologies for the way I pronounce these words.

Not to further sound like a stereotype but I’ve probably eaten mozzarella and marinara more than any food in my lifetime. Between pizza, Sunday sauce* dinners, mozz sticks, fresh mozzarella balls, meatball subs, etc. I was practically raised on ’em. If I had my own food pyramid, mozzarella and marinara based foods would have a section and said section would probably be right beside potato chips. (I never said I had the healthiest diet.)

As much as I love all the foods mentioned, I’m not an elitist snob about it. I still enjoy chain pizza, string cheese, or your run of the mill fast food mozzarella stick. For all these reasons, I felt like I would be a great judge for Ruffles’ Mozzarella ‘N Marinara chips.

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Right out of the gate, these chips nail the smell. I got all the elements I wanted –- tomato sauce, cheesy tanginess, and a bit of onion and garlic. It was a good start.

The taste absolutely delivered on that smell.

There’s a tangy flavor that for a split second that actually reminded me of Cheddar and Sour Cream Ruffles. The cheddar quickly morphed into a milder mozzarella flavor. That flavor is definitely more along the lines of a Polly-O/Sargento/Belgioioso store-bought cheese, but like I said, I like em all. Oh, and cheddar is listed in the ingredients if you’re wondering.

Ruffles Mozzarella N Marinara Potato Chips 3

The tomato sauce flavor rides the line perfectly. It doesn’t overpower the mozz in any way and actually takes a backseat to what I assume are Italian breadcrumb flavors. Even though these aren’t technically called, “mozzarella stick,” they taste like ’em to me. The Italian style herbs, garlic, onion, and parsley flavors you expect from the fried outer coating are all there.

The aftertaste is distinctly that of a mozzarella stick dipped in a cup of marinara. The flavors are perfect, but if I have one complaint it’s that I could have used even more of it.

I don’t normally want my chips saturated in finger-painting flavor dust, but I could’ve used even more of a coating. This is a very minor nitpick.

While mozzarella sticks are obviously an opposing texture, the ridged Ruffles were the best choice for this flavor. Regular Lay’s style chips would have been too flimsy and greasy. Plus, as a dumb child who choked on mozzarella sticks on numerous occasions, these are much safer to eat!

I’m struggling to find many other complaints. Besides wanting a tad more flavor, I did get a little agita after eating about four servings of these, but you gotta expect a little agita after eating mutzadel and madanada.

These were exactly as advertised for me. Cheddar and Sour Cream are in my pantheon of great chips, and I loved the All Dressed variety, but these might be my new favorite Ruffles.

(Nutrition Facts – about 11 chips – 150 calories 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $4.29
Size: 8.5 oz. bag
Purchased at: Stop & Shop
Rating: 9 out of 10
Pros: Extra crispy mozzarella sticks. One of the better flavor translations Frito Lay has done. Not as big a choking risk as real mozzarella sticks. Reminds me of all my childhood favorites.
Cons: A little agita. Could probably use more flavor dust. *I don’t wanna hear your crazy “gravy” arguments.