Taco Bell news this week comes from abroad – Australia and Europe – revealing new products we may soon see here in North America. McDonald’s is bringing back a holiday fave, Popeye’s offers a new Holiday dessert, and Snickers is making a market test fave flavour permanent…
Taco Bell has made a new European-made Plant based Meat Substitute
a permanent menu item in Finland and Spain…
Taco Bell goes spicy down under…
The Bell has introduced (for a limited time, of course) what it calls Lava Burst Hot Chips in Australia. They’re reportedly similar to the Steak Rattlesnake Fries the chain débuted in North America earlier this year. The Aussie Lava Sauce is different from the Cheesy TB Lava Sauce fans In N.A. may be familiar with. Buy the way: In Aus and most other former British colonies, they call Fries ‘Chips’, as in Fish and Chips, and what we call Chips, they call ‘Crisps’.
… Doubles down for Vegetarians in Europe
Earlier this year, Taco Bell introduced a Vegetarian Menu – mainly concocted from ingredients already in the TB kitchen, but without the meat. Now, they’ve quietly released a Plant-based Meat Substitute in Spain and Finland. The stuff doesn’t really look like the Bell’s signature Seasoned Ground Beef, but it can be used in all their menu items that incorporate Beef. No word on how it tastes. And no word on when, or even if it will début in North America.
McDonald’s Holiday Pies back
Yes, those succulent little desserts filled with Pastry Cream and topped with Sprinkles are back – at participating outlets. McD’s seems to be responding to pleas from fans for the return of the seasonal favourite, in spite of the fact that the chain apparently didn’t have official plans to do so. To make them even harder to find, they’re on the McCafé menu, so you’ll have to look for them where the McCafé sign is posted.
Popeye’s launches Bourbon Fudge Pie
Its a seasonal specialty but it could prove popular enough to add to the Chicken store’s permanent menu. The Bourbon Fudge filling looks just like Chocolate Cream but tastes markedly different. It’s topped with a generous piping of Chocolate flavoured Whipped Topping. While the slices are a little on the small side – apparently cut from 8 in. / 20 cm pies – they’re packed with flavour.
Snickers White coming back permanently
After a phenomenally successful limited time release, The White Chocolate version of the Snickers Bar is being added to the line permanently. It features the usual Nougat, Peanuts and Caramel inside, enrobed in a coat of White Chocolate. Look for Snickers White at all the usual candy counters starting this coming January 20.
Crazy Collab: Pringles + Rick & Morty
If you’re a fan of Rick & Morty on cable channel Adult Swim, you’ll certainly remember the ‘Pickle Rick’ episode, in which one of the lead characters turns himself into a Pickle and embarks on some wild adventures. If you’re not a fan, don’t worry. You don’t need to know anything about the show to enjoy Pringles new Pickle Rick chips. They’ll be making their official début in a 30-second commercial during the second quarter of the 2020 Super Bowl broadcast. But you can start looking for the bright green can at the usual outlets any timer now.
And that’s the skinny…
… On what’s going be making some of us fatter (and crazier) this holiday season. Back in 7 with the next edition of Fast Food Week!
~ Maggie J.