It wasn't two minutes after my 8-year-old son walked in the door from school that I heard him yell, "Mom, you went to KFC?!" I'd left my soda on the counter and was totally busted for frequenting a restaurant that I've always told him I will never take him to. Nothing personal against the Colonel, it's just that little nutritional disasters like the Double Down have made me steer my family far away from the joint toward a bit healthier fare.
That is until they introduced the Cheesy Bacon Bowl, and the temptation was just too much I couldn't resist. Okay, not really, my editor asked me to try it to see what I thought. But it sounded like a great excuse for a little indulgence. I like everything in it -- fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, cheese, and of course, bacon (the newest addition to their already fat-laden bowls). The question was: What would it taste like all together in one bowl?
The first clue as to how I would feel about this meal was in how heavy the bag was when the woman handed it to me through the drive-thru window. It felt like it weighed five pounds, and I quickly checked the contents of the bag to make sure there weren't three of them or something. Nope, just one heavy meal.
When I got home, I opened it and was immediately hit by the smell of grease and instant mashed potatoes. It didn't look bad per se, just a bit overwhelming. The best thing I can liken it to is something I first encountered when I visited my cousins' farm in Kansas when I was a child. After every meal, they'd collect the scraps from everyone's plates and the pans and dishes (complete with tons of mashed potatoes always) and put them in the "slop bucket." Then once the bucket was full, we'd go feed the slop to the pigs. It was a good meal for those pigs I'm sure, but it didn't look like anything I'd ever want to eat.
So pushing images of slop from my mind, I manned up and went in with my spork and as much optimism as I could muster. The first bite was ... dreadful and gravy-drenched. The second bite was an explosion of fat, salt, soggy fried chicken and an overpowering bacon-like taste. The third bite was ... nonexistent, because I couldn't handle any more. It wasn't just bad in the way I really wanted to eat more but knew I shouldn't; it was just bad.
Later I gave my son, who was ecstatic to be trying the formerly forbidden food, a taste; he was less than impressed as well. "My mom finally let me eat KFC, but it was gross!" I overheard him telling his friend later in the afternoon.
So, for our family at least, this new KFC bowl is not going to be added to our dinner rotation anytime soon, ever. The good news, however, is that my son will likely never pester me to take him to KFC again.
Have you tried KFC's cheesy bacon bowl? Do you think you would like it?
Written by Julie Ryan Evans on CafeMom's blog, The Stir.
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