White Castle, the fast-food chain known for its signature sliders, is officially expanding its repertoire with the introduction of a vegetarian option.
Priced at $2.49, the new Southwest Veggie Slider includes a patty made from six vegetables seasoned with chipotle and barbecue flavors, including sweet potatoes, black beans, corn, red bell peppers, onions and carrot, all wrapped in a crispy brown rice coating. It’s topped with a slice of jalapeno cheese, though customers can substitute cheddar or American.
“Our Cravers have been pretty vocal about wanting an alternative to traditional meat Sliders that doesn’t compromise on flavor,” White Castle’s chief marketing officer, Jamie Richardson, said in a statement. “That prompted our menu innovation team to prioritize finding a craveable alternative, and we believe the Southwest Veggie Slider delivers on that in a big way.”
According to White Castle, the Southwest Veggie Slider was “fueled by consumer insights,” gathered during a test period conducted last summer.
Those insights helped White Castle’s “innovation team identify the flavors, ingredients and overall profile customers wanted most in a nonmeat Slider,” the company said in a news release.
After running the customer feedback through its “innovation pipeline,” White Castle settled on a veggie patty developed by Dr. Praeger’s, a frozen vegan and vegetarian food producer.
The veggie slider joins White Castle’s existing lineup of handheld burgers, which includes beef, chicken and fish options.
Drew Pittock covers national trending news for USA TODAY. He can be reached at DPittock@usatodayco.com.
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