As you might have guessed, it’s all about last-minute Holiday special offerings, not the least of which fall into the snacks category. But there are a few exceptions: Papa John is embracing New York, Subway is shunning the bread, and Jack In The Box is boxing Tiny Tacos…
Papa John’s new York Style pie…
Papa John’s rolls out new NY-Style pies
The top-tier pizza power is introducing new New York Style pies described as both oversized and foldable. Papa Rewards members get an advance taste starting December 20, and the rest of us can order it starting December 27. The thin crust creation will feature the, ‘right balance of crust and toppings’. It’ll be on the menu until March 13, 2022. The next-best thing to a weekend in the Big Apple?
Subway shuns the bread
In their Protein Bowls, that is. Those ‘healthy alternatives’ will now go by the name ‘No Bready Bowls’, as a bow to their low- or zero-carb content. The Protein Bowls were originally introduced last January.
The presentation is just like a Footlong Sub in a bowl, with about twice the protein (meat and cheese) and a slightly fewer veggies – but without the bun.
Jack In The Box has Tiny Taco Box
Jack has been enjoying big-time fan success with his Tiny Tacos. Now, the little Tex-Mex morsels are featured in a new Tiny Taco Big Box meal, containing 25 Tiny Tacos and three dipping sauces: Taco, Creamy Avocado Lime, and Buttermilk Ranch, all set out like a mini taco bar. It’s available at participating locations across the chain for a limited time. Only one question remains: Can you finish the whole box yourself?
Field Roast intros perfect little Dog Bites
Well, that’s what they should have called them, I say! They are, officially, Plant-Based Miniature Corn Dogs. And, if they taste as good as they look, I’m hooked. Just the right size, rusty-red frankfurter puppies in in classic Corn Dog Batter. Perfect for popping in front of any screen.
They’re exclusively at Sam’s Club for now. Or online from Field Roast. But you can bet they’ll enter the mass market – and the popular lexicon – soon!
OREO back to its old tricks…
After a couple of unusual announcements (teases, really) earlier this holiday season, OREO is back on track top beat its own record for new version releases in 2022. We’ll get Toffee Crunch – a new toffee flavoured cream between regular OREO chocolate wafers. And there will also be Ultimate Chocolate – three layers of rich chocolate cream between two original OREO wafers. Toffee Crunch will be a permanent member of the OREO roster, while Ultimate Chocolate will be around for a limited time only. Remember, they’re coming early next year, not immediately…
Pillsbury rolls out Holiday Doughs
Pillsbury – which has been unusually active over the past year or so flying limited-time new varieties of cookie dough – is making a monumental effort for the Holidays with a menu of 11 new slice-and-bake cookies.
That’s too many different dough sausages to list here, but the long-story-short is, they’re featuring Gingerbread Cookies, Sugar Cookies, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies and Holiday Grands Hot Cocoa Rolls. Get ’em wherever you usually get your Pillsbury Cookie Dough fix…
No-added-sugar flavoured coffee creamers
Here’s something new and interesting from Starbuck’s: A new line of no-sugar-added Flavoured Coffee Creamers. The premiere flavours are perennial favourites Caramel and Hazelnut. They are sweetened with sucralose, and are touted to contain less than 1 g of total sugar. Look for Starbuck’s ZERO Creamers in the dairy case.
Wheaties celebrates a century!
The Breakfast of Champions is turning 100, and it’s celebrating by offering a limited edition box featuring Michael Jordan and gold foil trimmings. It’s Jordan’s 19th time on the Wheaties box, a record among the all-time great athletes who’ve been so honoured.
If you want to get one, go directly (do not pass GO) to shop.wheaties.com. And be prepared to shell out $25 for the privilege. If they haven’t sold out, yet.
CHEX blasts out Holiday snack mix
The flavour is called ‘Toffee Cookie Crunch Mix’ and it’s a blend of Chex cereal, peanuts, chocolate, and popcorn covered in a toffee coating. You get 12 oz. / 340 g in a reusable Holiday-decorated tin. But you have to order from Shop.Chex.com, for ‘just’ $9.99. But the small print reveals that you can only get delivery by ground service – which means your Christmas treat may not arrive for 4 – 6 weeks. Make it an early Valentine’s gift, instead?
Novelty Alert! Del Taco gets saucy
Del Taco is offering a special Christmas Stocking for the hot sauce lover: A big red stocking with a lavishly-embroidered Del Taco logo, filled with 100 packets of Del’s hot sauce.
Choose Mild, Del Scorcho, or Del Inferno. Visit the Del Taco Web Store and get ready to invest $19.99 in your intended recipient’s undying gratitude!
Novelty Alert! Lays pours Potato Vodka
I guess it was just a matter of time. Lays – the Potato Chip giant – is offering a special potato-based Vodka in partnership with Eastside Distillery. The maker describes it as, “a blend of Portland Potato Vodka and vodka distilled from Lay’s proprietary potatoes for a crisp, clean finish.” It’s a limited-time, while-supplies-last holiday special, so order your tipsy conversation starter now from shop.eastsidedistilling.com/laysvodka – at just $40 per bottle.
International Alert! Dominos serves up 3-Course Pizza
Dominos South Korea is offering a one-stop meal on a crust. The special is actually a regular pie sliced in strips with three different toppings on separate pieces representing appetizer, entrée and dessert. The appetizer is topped with ricotta cheese and tomatoes.
The main slice is dressed with dollops of Cajun Shrimp, Horseradish Squid and Korean BBQ Beef. And dessert is cream cheese mousse with cheese cake cubes. The Master Three-Course Pizza is available for a limited time at ‘just’ 28,000 won (US$23.65).
And that’s the skinny..
… On some of what will be making some of us fatter over the impending Holidays. See you back here in 7 with the next edition of Fast Food Week!
~ Maggie J.