In the game of "which fast food chain can create the most ridiculous menu item yet,"
KFC may have just taken the title, and that's no small feat.
After all, Arby's recently introduced the world to the meat carrot, Burger King started
selling tacos, and Jack in the Box made burgers into french fries, all of which are hard to
beat when it comes to absurdity.
But KFC's latest offering isn't pulling any punches, and though they've ratcheted up the
ridiculous factor, they've done so in the best way possible if you're a Cheetos lover.
The fried chicken chain debuted the Cheetos Sandwich nationwide on July 1st, 2019, and
it is a sight to behold.
"Is that a KFC chicken sandwich with Cheetos sauce and also actual Cheetos on it?"
"It's like two logos in every bite!"
The new menu addition takes the classic Crispy Colonel Sandwich and turns it up to 11 by
smothering the fried chicken filet in Cheetos sauce and adding a layer of Crunchy Cheetos
underneath it, atop a hefty smear of mayonnaise, of course.
"Is that high-quality, folks?"
"Yes!"
Why would they ever do that, you ask?
Well, according to KFC,
"Only the finger lickin' cheesiness of Cheetos could rival our finger lickin' good chicken,
so KFC and Cheetos joined flavor forces to make this deliciously crispy, crunchy, cheesy
sandwich."
If you're looking at this bad boy thinking it's got to be over the top in the nutrition
department, we've got good news for you: If you're happily chowing down on the Crispy
Colonel Sandwich already, the Cheetos Sandwich isn't much worse for you The Cheetos-laden
choice comes in at 560 calories, just 100 more than the regular sandwich.
It's got 8 more grams of fat, for 33 grams total, and only 10 milligrams more salt though
at 1,180 milligrams, it's not exactly salt-free.
Is it health food?
Decidedly not.
But you didn't go into KFC looking for health food, whether or not it's adorned with Cheetos,
did you?
Now for the important part: Does it taste as good as it looks?
That depends.
If you're the Washington Post, whose headline proclaims, "KFC's Cheetos chicken sandwich
looks toxic and tastes like a missed opportunity," you didn't think it looked good to begin with.
But damning headline aside, taste tester Maura Judkis did have to admit,
"Against all better judgment, I ate this nuclear slime sandwich.
So far, I haven't died.
Yay!
It is, I am apprehensive to report, better than it looks.
Sure, the sandwich looks terrible, but terrible-looking foods can also be good well, 'good' in the
way that we grade on a curve when it comes to fast food.
Does it satisfy both our curiosity and our taste for salt, sugar and fat?
Yes.
Will it make you laugh, and then also make you feel ashamed of yourself?
Yes, and yes."
The Takeout's Kevin Pang gave the Cheetos Sandwich a warmer reception, saying,
"…the Cheetos oil tastes like get ready Cheetos in oil form, as if cheesy dust was
blended into melted butter.
You can imagine how that would taste sauced over fried chicken.
The mayonnaise serves as a binding agent and adds some creaminess, but it's the crunchy
Cheetos itself that proves to be the revelation."
At the end of the day, Pang concluded,
"This sandwich feels like gimmickry at the outset.
I can assure you it's not.
It's a bit messy, it feels something more appropriate for middle school cafeterias,
but dang is this ever a clever idea and more importantly, it's a clever idea well-executed."
If the Cheetos Sandwich floats your boat, you may have more Cheetos-KFC collaborations
to look forward to: Delish reports that for the sandwich's launch, KFC hosted an "All
Orange Everything" pop-up in New York City, and offered several other Cheetos-infused
dishes, including Cheetos Hot Wings, Loaded Fries, and mac and cheese.
Was it a sneak peek of new menu items to come?
We can only hope.
Unfortunately, the Cheetos Sandwich is only available for a limited time, so KFC recommends
that you "enjoy those orange fingers while you can!"
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