It’s the gift-giving time of year again, and you may have some friends or relatives who would appreciate receiving something that brings the heat. But please don’t buy those generic hot sauce gift sets that seem to pop up everywhere during this season (I go into more detail on those here). If you do some looking around, you can find plenty of good collections of hot sauce made (or put together your own) from quality ingredients that your...
This is a tasty twist on a Cajun favorite that delivers a kick and uses up some of that leftover turkey you have in the fridge.
Ingredients: 1 lb Cooked Turkey, Chopped 16 oz Andouille Sausage, Chopped 1 Medium Sweet Onion, Diced 1 Cup Celery, Diced ¾ Cup Red Bell Pepper, Diced 1 to 2 Jalapenos, Diced 3 to 4 Garlic Gloves, Minced 16 oz Crushed Tomatoes 2 to 3 Tablespoons Oil or Bacon Grease 2 Tablespoons Cajun Seasoning 2 Teaspoons Garlic Salt...
Bottom Line: The Spicy Grilled Cheese Nacho Fries are not too spicy and are a little clunky to eat, but they will satisfy your Taco Bell cravings.
Nacho Fries are back at the Bell, and as expected they have a new loaded version of those headlining the menu. This one takes a nod from their popular Grilled Cheese Burrito by throwing a bunch of stuff on top of the fries then tossing all that onto the grill before serving. You can get them with...
Bottom Line: The Maple Sriracha and Dallas Cowboys Hot Lemon wings from Wingstop do not bring much heat and they take some getting used to, but they are worth trying.
Wingstop is one of my favorites among the chains for wings and I stop by there on a regular basis for one of their combos or their excellent chicken sandwiches. They don’t have as many sauces as say Buffalo Wild Wings, but they still have more than enough to choose from and they...
Bottom Line: The Phoenix Fire, Vampire’s Bane, and Day Walker salsas from Mrs. McArthur deliver first-rate craft sauces that pack quite a bit of heat.
Craft salsas have become quite common lately, and when I find someone who makes them locally, I try to give them my support. The sauces from Mrs. McArthur (aka Lady McArthur, aka The Pepper Lady) fall into that category, and she offers some that will really light you up! She makes her products...
The holiday time of year is upon us and you will almost certainly see those generic hot sauce gift sets in big box stores and gift shops calling out to you. But if you know somebody who likes spicy food and you are looking to buy them a gift, do them a favor and pass those by (as I discuss in more detail here.) Instead, buy something with better quality and taste, and if you have a Trader Joe's market near you then you will have plenty of...
Taco Bell Kicks Up Its Nacho Fries Again
Taco Bell is offering a new variation on its popular Nacho Fries by giving them a grilled cheese twist and a little kick of smokey heat. These include a three-cheese blend, fries, nacho cheese, choice of meat, and creamy chipotle sauce. After assembling the fries, they are grilled up and then served hot and ready to go. These will be available on November 16th and should stick around as long as the Nacho...
Bottom Line: The Jalapeno Roast Beef Sliders and Buffalo Chicken Sliders from Arby’s offer some tasty small bites but could use some more heat.
Arby’s is known for its big beefy sandwiches, and those are certainly rather satisfying when you have a big appetite. But sometimes smaller is better and Arby’s has you covered on that as well because they have several slider options on the menu, and a couple of those bring a bit of a kick. If you...
Bottom Line: Tapatio Doritos may not be the hottest selection from that line, but they achieve that perfect sweet spot where Fire meets Flavor.
Doritos has offered quite a number of spicy versions over the years, but the ones that you typically see on the shelves these days are the Spicy Nacho (which are not too spicy) and whichever are the latest Flamin’ Hot variations. (One of those is Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch which is actually not bad. More...
Bottom Line: Cheap hot sauce gift sets are often made overseas with low-quality ingredients and very little difference in flavor from bottle to bottle. Give known brands or craft hot sauces instead.
It's that time of year and I will issue my annual warning as gift-giving season is now upon us. Sure enough, at some point you will be walking through one of the big-box stores or a gift shop and see a hot sauce set that you want to buy for a...