We Tasted Pringles' Limited-Edition Thanksgiving Dinner, the Entire Holiday Meal in Chip Form

Pringles don't need to do much to stand out from the potato chip crowd. The duckbill-shaped crisps that come in a tube instead of a bag are iconic in their own right. But recently, the brand has been working to carve out a new niche not just as an innovator in shape and packaging, but in flavors, as well. Last month, Pringles held a three-day pop-up shop in honor of "flavor stacking." Given 25 different flavors, chip fans were encouraged to stack these different options into completely new flavor combinations like "Bacon Ranch Pizza" and "Backyard Bash." Now, Pringles is introducing an entirely new line of its first-ever Thanksgiving flavors – eight new tastes in all – and are encouraging customers to use the stacking approach to further customize their holiday meal in chip form.

Sadly for diehard snack addicts, this extremely limited-edition "Pringles Thanksgiving Dinner" package is only a "pilot taste test" with limited availability. Luckily, as connoisseurs of all things food and wine – snacks included – we were given the opportunity to be one of the first tasters of these holiday-themed chips. And since this is a pilot program, we'd be remiss to not provide honest feedback in the hope of benefitting potato chip Thanksgiving dinners in the future.

Straight out of the box, literally, Pringles sets a strong tone with packaging reminiscent of a classic Stouffer's dinner, a cute touch for what aspires to be an entire meal of chips. Each of the eight flavors – Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce, Creamed Corn, Green Bean Casserole, Mac & Cheese and Pumpkin Pie – gets its own little nook. And upon opening, you're greeted with the intriguing aromas of an actual Thanksgiving dinner.

As for the taste, well, as can probably be expected with eight new and experimental flavors – some of which don't inherently lend themselves to potato chip incarnations – the different varieties were hit or miss. In general, the savory flavors were the more successful of the group. Obviously something like Mashed Potatoes is a gimme, seeing as these are potato chips. The relatively straightforward flavor of Turkey worked as well. So instead, Green Bean Casserole was a standout if only for nailing a taste you wouldn't expect to translate so well into a chip. Meanwhile, other savory items turned out how you might expect: Stuffing was reminiscent of bouillon seasoning; Mac & Cheese was a bit like a chip dipped in Kraft Mac powder. The savory department's biggest loser had to be Cream Corn, which our tasters suggested suffered from an unwelcome sweetness.

Speaking of sweetness, though Pringles has taken plenty of forays into the dessert realm – a previous group of holiday flavors included things like White Chocolate and Pecan Pie – the two sweeter options here didn't quite work for us. Pumpkin Pie had the right amount of spice but failed to satiate. As for Cranberry Sauce, well, let's simply say you're better off splurging for a can of the real thing.

Overall, give Pringles credit for creating a fun novelty. No, all the flavors weren't perfect, but for a product like this, the discussion and debate is almost entirely the point… No offense to anyone who planned on having Pringles Thanksgiving Dinner as their actual holiday meal. And for flavors you aren't a fan of, Pringles has a plan for that, too: flavor stacking, with suggestions like "The Leftover Sandwich" (Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes) and "The Touchdown" (Green Bean Casserole, Mac & Cheese, Creamed Corn). Because it isn't Thanksgiving without a bunch of leftovers you need to figure out how to get rid of in creative ways.