# Macaroni-Filled Cheese Puffs Burger King's New Mac N' Cheetos Take Comfort Food to Another Level By Katherine Pendrill | Published 2016-06-22 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mac-n-cheetos References: [brandeating](http://www.brandeating.com/2016/06/new-mac-n-cheetos-arrive-at-burger-king.html) & [foodbeast](http://www.foodbeast.com/news/mac-n-cheetos-bk/) Burger King recently began testing a new dish called 'Mac n' Cheetos,' which puts a junk food-inspired twist on a classic comfort food. While Cheetos have been used by other fast food chains to add a crunchy texture to different dishes, now the bright orange cheese puffs are being used as the vessel for mac n' cheese. The new Mac n' Cheetos dish consists of extra-large Cheetos that have been filled with deep-fried macaroni and dusted with a heavy coating of cheddar cheese powder. Each order currently includes five pieces for convenient sharing. The new hybrid side dish follows several other gimmicky dishes released by the chain, including the Angriest Whopper, the Whopper Dog and the Chicken Fries Rings. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.8/10 - Popularity: 44% | Activity: 63% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Junk Food Mashups:** Opportunities for restaurants and food manufacturers to create unique dishes by combining traditionally separate junk food items - **Novelty Fast Food Offerings:** Potential for fast food chains to differentiate their menus and generate buzz with unique, one-of-a-kind food items - **Comfort Food Reimagined:** Opportunities to put a fun spin on classic comfort foods to appeal to younger generations and capitalize on nostalgia ### Sectors Adopting This - **Fast Food:** Innovation opportunities for fast food restaurants to create new and unique menu items to attract customers - **Food Manufacturing:** Possibilities for food manufacturers to produce and market new junk food mashups for sale in supermarkets and convenience stores - **Snack Foods:** Opportunities for snack food companies to produce new and unique products that appeal to the growing market for unconventional and innovative snacks ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Fried Noddle Burger Patties](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mac-cheese-burger.md) - [Breaded Macaroni Patty Sandwiches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/macaroni-cheese-lover-sandwiches.md) - [Cheesy Fried Chicken Dishes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/buffalo-chicken-mac-cheese.md) - [Cheesy Macaroni-Topped Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smac-cheese-burger.md) - [Spicy Macaroni-Topped Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/spicy-mac-and-cheese-burger.md) - [Crispy QSR Macaroni Bites](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fried-mac-n-cheese-bites.md) - [Macaroni-Filled Chicken Tacos](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mac-n-cheese-kentaco.md) - [Crispy Cheese-Filled Fries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mozzarella-fries.md) - [Cheddar-Packed Chicken Nuggets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cheddarich-chicken-nuggets.md)