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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Courtney Pochin & Amy Browne

'I tried McDonald's summer menu and was blown away by the lasagne burger and halloumi fries'

McDonald’s is changing up its menu this week and introducing Mediterranean flavours from Italy, Spain and Cyprus.

From Wednesday, June 8, the fast food giant is launching four new burgers including the Crispy Chicken Italiano, The Spanish Stack, the Chicken Fiesta and the lasagne-inspired The Italian Stack. Mozzarella dippers are also coming back, there will be halloumi fries on the menu, a Spanish Fruit Punch drink and - wait for it - a limited edition Tiramisu McFlurry.

Before the items hit the menu, Courtney Pochin of the Mirror, was lucky enough to try the entire lot. Her verdict: “I can honestly say that this might just be my favourite thing McDonald's has ever done.”

READ MORE: McDonald's announces eight major changes coming to its menu this week

First up she tried the lasagne-inspired Italian Stack, which is made up of layers of beef patties, slices of mozzarella, crispy onions, a rich tomato sauce, bechamel sauce, and lettuce, served in a toasted tomato and herb bun.

In her review, Courtney said: “It's got all the flavours of everyone's favourite comfort pasta dish, mixed with the traditional taste of a McDonald's burger and it's a genius combination. It blows my mind that this didn't exist sooner. The only issue you might have is getting your chops around the thing as it's stacked very high.”

Next, she tried the Crispy Chicken Italiano, which is a chicken burger, topped with tomato, mozzarella, red onion and lettuce, drizzled in a basil pesto sauce in a toasted ciabatta style bun. She said: “The pesto style sauce pairs so well with the other fillings and gives it a fresh taste and the chicken fillet inside is very generous in size. No cardboard-like meat here.

The Crispy Chicken Italiano with pesto style sauce (Courtney Pochin)

“Following in the footsteps of the Crispy McFillet burger which had truffle mayo, this feels fancier than your average Maccas fare and I'll definitely be ordering more of these.”

Courtney was also impressed with the Tiramisu McFlurry, which has chocolate flavoured biscuit pieces and a coffee and chocolate sauce. She said: “I'm not a big coffee fan, but the flavour is quite mild, so I didn't struggle to eat this.”

From July 27, items inspired by Spain and Cyprus are added to the menu, including two burgers which are served in paprika buns. The Spanish Stack has two beef patties, chilli cheddar, red onion, lettuce and a spicy tomato bravas style sauce.

The Chicken Fiesta is filled with crispy chicken, chorizo, chilli cheddar, spicy tomato sauce, red onion and lettuce. After putting them to the taste test, Courtney said: “These were both perfectly fine burgers, but in my opinion, the star of this menu is the halloumi fries which come in a portion of four, are coated in a light batter and served with a pot of tomato dip.

The halloumi fries are a must try for cheese lovers (Courtney Pochin)

“If you love mozzarella dippers or any of the cheesy offerings from McDonald's these are a must-try. No doubt about it, my new favourite McDonald's item.”

Taste of Italy Menu – menu items available from June 8 to July 26

  • Italian Stack - £5.39

  • Crispy Chicken Italiano - £5.39

  • Mozzarella Dippers - £1.99 (single) £5.39 (share box)

  • Tiramisu McFlurry - £1.19 (mini) £1.69 (regular)

Taste of Spain and Cyprus – menu items available from July 27 to September 6

  • Spicy Spanish Stack - £5.39

  • Chicken Fiesta - £5.39

  • Halloumi Fries - £2.49 (single) £6.49 (share box)

  • Punch - £2.29 (M) £2.61 (L)

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