The Taco Bell Cheez-It Mash-Up Is The Combo We Didn’t Know We Needed

Separately, these two signature brands know how to hit it out the park, but putting them together seemingly would result in a big strike out or a grand slam. It turns out that the Taco Bell Cheez-It combo is the unlikely marriage we didn't realize we needed.

"With these new menu items, the classic Cheez-It cracker gets an upgrade to a larger size – 16x larger to be exact, with a 1:1 crunch-to-cheez ratio," the official press release states. They then got quite creative with that cracker, resulting in two different mash-up items.

The first is the Big Cheez-It Tostada. Here, the Cheez-It serves as the base with taco meat, cheese, diced tomato, lettuce, and sour cream piled on top. It's like a giant nacho, but instead of the chip is a Cheez-it. The next item is the Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme. Here, the giant Cheez-it is in the middle of the wrap (where the tortilla chip usually would be). It then has the taco beef and cheese below the cracker, the lettuce, tomato, and sour cream above, and tightly wrapped in a soft taco shell.

Before I bit into these items (with my fingers crossed) I had a few questions swirling. Would the Cheez-it actually take like a Cheez-it? Would there be on flavor that drowns out all the rest? Most importantly, does this pairing actually work or is it disgusting?

I first tried the crunchwrap. Immediately, I was surprised by how layering all of these savory items together actually resulted in a unique taste. It was different than a normal crunchwrap given the sharp blend of the Cheez-it flavor, but yet the "cheez" did not dominate the party. The first bite resulted in more bites, until basically the wrap was almost gone. In conclusion, this worked better than expected.

The tostada, on the other hand, probably falls into the one-and-done category. Meaning that I wouldn't seek it out again. It's essentially the same thing, but without the wrap, and shredded cheese instead of sauce. However, keep in mind the wrap is a much easier handheld item to devour than a tostada. Here, the Giant Cheez-it softened a bit, and stating the obvious: this is very messy to eat. It becomes a puzzle of trying not to drop everything as you bite. Furthermore, Taco Bell is a fast food establishment often eaten in the car, post drive-thru. Good luck eating this tostada with one hand on the wheel.

Lastly, of all the Cheez-it variations that exist in the grocery store snack aisle (most of which I love), there is not a giant Cheez-it like the one created for Taco Bell. Therefore, it was important to try the giant Cheez-it alone. It's like taking a bite of the crust of pizza. It needs to add value to the meal, not just casually exist. I would say the Giant Cheez-it moderately resembled the standard version of itself. It lacked a bit of the salt component and the sogginess to it took away from the compact flavor. Yet, in the wrap this is somewhat hidden (and works OK) given all the other ingredients mix quite well, and the all come together, resulting in something new and different.

The final results here are that the Tostada was a fun, gimmicky style experiment. I can see how the two sides would think that it was worth trying. The crunchwrap, on the other hand, is the item I would order again. Sure, it's something you would only order one of in a given sitting, but it is exceptionally different than anything else on either of their menus.

Currently, Taco Bell is also offering a Big Cheez-It Box. This consists of the Cheez-it crunchwrap, an order of nacho fries, a five-layer burrito, and a medium fountain drink. This special is available for a limited time.

Ben and Jerry's new flavors couldn't be more different from each other. The popular New England based ice cream brand has added three options to their creative family so far this year, and here I will rank them all.

Coincidentally, I tried each of these in one sitting. This was an unplanned taste test. With a house full of young kids, a visiting friend recently stopped by and knew the way to quickly win over the youngsters. Pints of ice cream.

Before I get into explaining which was best, I should note I am not an ice cream (or dessert) enthusiast by any means. Dare I say, I hardly seek out ice cream, even in the summer months. However, if it is put in front of me, I will eat it if it's one of my favorite varieties.

If I'm going for ice cream, though, Ben and Jerry's is easily my brand of choice. Being a New Englander, I have toured their Vermont location a handful of times. Their half-baked in a cone is my go-to choice.

If you are not familiar, these are the Ben and Jerry's new flavors that have rolled out in 2024. Impretzively Fudged, PB S'More, and Marshmallow Sky. Now, it's important to note that Marshmallow Sky is new just to pints. Meaning, it was available in their scoop shops only.

Another flavor entitled Strawberry Cheezecake was also unveiled earlier this year. This did not qualify here as a new flavor ranking because it had been an ice cream flavor (branded "cheesecake). The new "cheeze" version is a vegan dairy-free dessert.

Upon seeing these at my house, I realized they were new. So, instead of selecting one pint to scoop, I took one for the team and realized I needed one proper scoop of each.

My process was to try one at a time and not have all three in the same bowl. Blending flavors might compromise the intended taste.

As a result, there was a flavor where one bite was enough. Another where I couldn't get enough, and the third was somewhere in between.

Here is my official ice cream ranking of Ben and Jerry's new flavors.

It's chocolate ice cream with fudge covered pretzel pieces and pretzel swirl. The problem here is that I do not like chocolate covered pretzels. Oddly enough, I love pretzels alone. Dip them in sugar and ice cream and it either compromises the flavor or classifies as "too much." So, this was my least favorite.

Here we have toasted marshmallow ice cream with peanut butter cups, graham cracker pieces, and marshmallow swirl. The graham crackers are the star of this show. They pair better with the ice cream and chocolate than the typical marshmallow of a S'More. This was certainly a tasty delight, but I feel if the marshmallow swirl did not need to be invited to the party.

Admittedly, I was a little cautious about the blue ice cream color thinking it could suffer from cotton candy syndrome (where too much equals upset stomach city). That is not the case here. It's marshmallow ice cream with swirls, and then chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolate chocolate chip cookie dough. The latter of the cookie dough bites just brings this to another level. Some sweets get forced together and some just belong together and make each other better. That's the case here. It's no wonder Ben and Jerry's decided to promote this flavor. It tastes as cheerful as it looks.