Olive Garden Just Shared A Genius Idea For Using Those Famous After-Dinner Mints

We can't wait to try this two-ingredient recipe ourselves.

Besides the unlimited breadsticks and platters piled high with lasagna, fettuccine Alfredo, chicken Parmesan, or all three (Tour of Italy fans know what's up!), Olive Garden is famous for wrapping up each meal in a very sweet way. Each visit to Olive Garden ends with one — or if we’re lucky, a handful — of complimentary Andes Mints delivered with the check.

While that custom has been getting some extra time in the spotlight thanks to a recent viral TikTok post (more on this shortly), it turns out that the mints have been woven into the fabric of the Italian-American restaurant chain for decades.

Olive Garden servers started handing out their custom-made Andes Mints in 1986; just 2 years after the brand was launched. Only the silver wrapper, emblazoned with the OG logo, and the shape differ from the Andes Mints you can buy online and on store shelves, by the way.

Andes Mints have an even longer history. Andrew Kanelos opened his Chicago candy store in 1921. The name of said shop? Andy’s Candies, which was later rebranded to Andes Candies. So it stands to reason that the chocolate mints he dreamed up and started making in 1950 were deemed "Andes Mints." The brand was acquired by Tootsie Roll Industries in 2000.

Today, more than 70 years since its debut, Andes Mints are the top-selling after-dinner mint, according to Tootsie Roll Industries, and you can now enjoy them not only in the original flavor duo, but also in Mint Cookie Crunch, Peppermint Crunch, Mint Parfait, Toffee Crunch, and Cherry Jubilee Andes candies.

We can only imagine that one of the most regular and largest investors in Andes Mints has to be Olive Garden. Typically, we unwrap and enjoy them while at the table or on the way out of the restaurant. But the Olive Garden team recently shared a brilliant food hack that has inspired us to save those mints to take them to new delicious levels once we’re home.

A New Way To Enjoy an Old Favorite

For the easiest-ever mint hot chocolate, you need just two ingredients, they explain in the viral TikTok video. In a mug, add 8 ounces of hot milk and 10 "Olive Garden Mints," the video instructs, AKA Andes Mints. Use a spoon to stir the milk and melt the mints, garnish as desired (whipped cream and extra chopped mints or mini chocolate chips is what we’ll be opting to add!), then enjoy.

So what’s a diner to do when they only receive one or two mints? Ask and you shall receive, they say. Hey, "when you’re here, you’re family," the Olive Garden motto reminds us, nodding to their own version of Southern hospitality.

The Olive Garden TikTok team responded to several comments posted with the video with the simple suggestion of, "We suggest asking your server for extra," (or order them in bulk online so you’re never more than moments away from your two-ingredient minty hot cocoa).

For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Southern Living.