Review: Barilla - Tomato & Basil Whole Grain Penne

Barilla's Tomato & Basil Whole Grain Penne is a shelf-stable meal of a tomato & basil sauce over whole grain penne pasta.

A 9-oz box was $2.

The Best New Fast Foods of 2014

Since I pretty much ate every new thing that came out of the major national fast food chains this year, here's a list of the best new fast food each chain put out in 2014:

Review: Corner Bakery Cafe - Pesto Cavatappi

Corner Bakery Cafe's Pesto Cavatappi features strips of grilled chicken and cavatappi pasta tossed in a pesto cream sauce and sprinkled with toasted bread crumbs. Crunchy garlic bread comes on the side.

An entree-size order was $8.99.

Popeyes Debuts New Ghost Pepper Wings

Popeyes goes for heavy heat with new Ghost Pepper Wings. Once regarded as the world's hottest pepper (it's now in third place), the ghost pepper measures over 1 million Scoville heat units, or a little over 900 times hotter than Tabasco sauce.

Pizza Hut Korea's Christmas Meal Looks Like a Stack of Presents

It's past Christmas but I just thought this was interesting: Pizza Hut Korea is offering new Christmas Tree Boxes as a 3-course meal in celebration of the holidays. The boxes look like green presents (complete with a red bow) and are stacked in a pyramid to resemble a Christmas tree.

Frozen Friday: Trader Joe's - Speculoos Cookie Butter Cheesecake

Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter Cheesecake features a vanilla cheesecake on a Speculoos Cookie crust, topped off with a layer of smooth Speculoos Cookie Butter.

A 22.5-oz cake was $6.99.

McDonald's Offering $2 Triple Cheeseburger in Select Markets

McDonald's is offering a $2 Triple Cheeseburger in at least some markets.

Like the name sounds, it's basically their standard Cheeseburger but with two extra patties and one extra slice of cheese (which really kinda makes it a McTriple since it doesn't have one slice of cheese per patty).

Taco Bell Working on a New "Quesalupa"

Taco Bell is working on a new dish called the "Quesalupa." Ostensibly a quesadilla crossed with a Chalupa, I haven't been able to pick up too much information regarding the possibly upcoming menu item but have reached out to Taco Bell for comment (I'll keep you guys updated if I hear anything back).

Here's what I've been able to put together so far:

Review: El Pollo Loco - Chocolate Churros

El Pollo Loco's Chocolate Churros are basically a chocolate version of their more traditional cinnamon churros.

An order of two 8-inch churros cost me $1.19.

Free Doritos Locos Taco with any Taco Bell Mobile App Order

Taco Bell looks to push the perks of their mobile ordering app by offering a free Doritos Locos Taco with any purchase made through the app for the entire month of January (update: the deal is ongoing for an indefinite amount of time with no set end date).

The deal is good until up to 1 million Doritos Locos Tacos are given out, or while supplies last, at participating Taco Bell locations.

Arby's Offers New King's Hawaiian Fish Deluxe, Classic Fish Sandwich Returns

The Classic Fish Sandwich is back at Arby's and along with it comes the new King's Hawaiian Fish Deluxe sandwich.

The King's Hawaiian Fish Deluxe features a breaded fillet of sustainably-caught Alaskan Pollack, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and tartar sauce on a King's Hawaiian bun.

Review: Hardee’s - Bacon Velveeta Patty Meltdown

Hardee’s Bacon Velveeta Patty Meltdown features chopped applewood-smoked bacon, grilled onions, melted Velveeta cheese, and a Black Angus beef patty on sourdough toast.

I picked up the ¼ lb version for $4.99.

Red Robin's Hangover Burger is Only Available for 7 Days

Red Robin's new hangover-recovery burger, The Cure Burger, arrives just in time to assuage your New Year's Eve hangover but is only available by request and only for 7 days starting January 1, 2015 at participating restaurants.

Pizza Hut Singapore's 2014 Christmas Menu Looks Mostly Normal

Pizza Hut Singapore's 2014 Christmas Menu actually looks pretty normal and good, in fact. It's only available at dine-in locations but they're offering Country Pie (AKA shepherd's pie), Beef Goulash, and Christmas Roast.

Okay, there's a little bit of weirdness in the new pizza, the Triple Joy Pizza, which looks more like a party platter than a pizza.

Review: Pizza Hut - BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

Pizza Hut's BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza features barbecue sauce, classic meatballs, hardwood-smoked bacon, fresh red onions and diced Roma tomatoes with a barbecue sauce drizzle and toasted cheddar crust.

It's recommended on their hand-tossed crust so that's the way I went. I paid $12 for a large.

McDonald's Japan Offers New Crab Croquette Burger

The latest sandwich from McDonald's Japan is the new Crab Croquette Burger, which, like the name suggests includes a breaded and deep-fried crab croquette in place of a meat or chicken patty.

New Bacon Velveeta Patty Meltdown at Hardee's

Hardee's upgrades the patty melt with the addition of melted Velveeta cheese and bacon in the new Velveeta Patty Meltdown sandwich.

Specifically, the sandwich features a choice of either a quarter-pound, third-pound, or half-pound Black Angus beef patty plus chopped applewood-smoked bacon, caramelized onions, two slices of Velveeta cheese, and mayo on toasted sourdough bread.

Review: Taco Bell - $1 Crunchwrap Sliders

Taco Bell's new $1 Crunchwrap Sliders are smaller versions of the Crunchwrap Supreme and feature the same distinctive hexagonal fold and grilled exterior. They come in three varieties: Beefy Cheddar, BLT, and Spicy Chicken.

I picked up one of each for $1 a piece and also got a Crunchwrap Supreme for size comparison while I was at it.

XXL Nachos Are Back at Taco Bell

XXL Nachos are back for a limited time at Taco Bell. They arrive just in time for the tail end of football season, as many of us gather around the TV, and also coincide with the launch of new $1 Crunchwrap Sliders.

New Jalapeno Hushpuppies Coming to Arby's in January

New crispy, bite-sized Jalapeno Hushpuppies are coming your way at Arby's in January.

The limited time items are made with sweet corn and diced jalapenos. Hushpuppies are basically deep-fried balls of cornbread.