Review: KFC - Loaded Potato Bowl

KFC's Loaded Potato Bowl offers a slightly different take on their Famous Bowl and features a bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy topped with corn, diced Extra Crispy chicken strips, a new bacon cheese sauce, green onions, and three cheese blend.

I bought a bowl with a 20-oz drink for $5 (sadly, no chocolate chip cookie was included at my local KFC); the bowl was also offered by itself at $3.99.

What's different with the Loaded Potato Bowl compared to the Famous Bowl is the addition of the bacon cheese sauce and green onions. It looks to be inspired by loaded potato skins, which tend to be topped with bacon, cheese, green onions, and sour cream.

The bacon cheese is a creamy white gravy with hints of bacon and cheese; there's actually some small bits of bacon thrown in for good measure. The cheese flavor is enhanced by a generous sprinkle of three cheese blend. There's also a lesser amount of KFC's regular gravy to add an extra dimension.

I somehow found this to be less salty than previous iterations of KFC's Bowl. I think it's due, in part, to the bacon cheese sauce and the replacement of Popcorn Chicken with diced Extra Crispy chicken strips. The diced strips in particular feel meatier and have less salty breading. They're also crispier. Also, the bowl seemed to be slightly wider with more heft to it than when I tried it last. I suspect there is more mashed potatoes to go against the saltier ingredients than before.

I particularly like the green onions, which had me feeling wistful for the days when Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza still had them. They add a fresh crispness and pop to the bowl. The corn adds a light crunch and sweetness.

Overall, I enjoyed KFC's Loaded Potato Bowl a fair bit. It's a kitchen sink approach to the signature KFC ingredients and the mild bacon cheese sauce does a fine job of pulling it together without being overwhelmed or overwhelming.