I Tried the HelloFresh Buddy the Elf Spaghetti Box, and It’s Shockingly Tasty

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The best way to spread Christmas cheer is putting maple syrup on your noodles.

While it could absolutely be argued that watching Elf is an enjoyable experience any time of year, there’s just something special about turning it on during the holiday season. How can you not get into the Christmas spirit watching Will Ferrell recite the Code of the Elves and elaborately decorate an entire department store for Santa?

If Elf is in your regular rotation of festive film favorites, you already know that Buddy likes to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup. This year, you can join him in that sugar-fest with a specialty box from HelloFresh, featuring his signature spaghetti dish—and it may surprise you how delicious Spaghetti alla Buddy is.

The box comes with everything you need (and in the cutest Elf-themed design): Colavita spaghetti, maple syrup, chocolate syrup, marshmallows, chocolate nonpareil candies, crumbled chocolate frosted pastries, and an instruction card with just four easy steps.

Buy It: Buddy the Elf Spaghetti, $14.99, HelloFresh

“While drawing inspiration from the sweet spaghetti dish seen in the movie Elf, we created a chocolate-forward version that stays true to Buddy the Elf’s dish, incorporating crushed chocolate cereal, various chocolate candies, marshmallows, and of course, syrup,” says Michelle Doll Olson, culinary development manager at HelloFresh, in a statement. “Our goal is always to create recipes that are both tasty and fun to prepare, and we’re sure this over-the-top recipe will satisfy any elf’s sweet tooth while bringing the holiday spirit to your household.”

I got the limited-edition box to try the recipe out for myself, and while I certainly had reservations about trying Buddy the Elf’s take on spaghetti, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I’m a huge spaghetti lover, and I found the noodles to be the perfectly unexpected vehicle for the sweeter add-ins. Most importantly, it was a joy to cook. It felt special pouring syrup and throwing marshmallows into a traditionally savory dish. My inner child was truly on cloud nine. However, I wouldn’t serve it as a holiday party dinner entree—the flavor profile is solely sweet, so I’d save it for dessert.

You don’t have to be a HelloFresh subscriber to get your mittens on your own kit, and each order includes two generous servings (I still have some candy left over), along with a recipe card and pre-portioned ingredients, for just $14.99. Boxes are available for order only from December 5 through December 9, with orders opening at 12:25 p.m. EST each day, so get yours as early as possible before they sell out. They ship out the day after they’re ordered, and delivery takes 1 to 5 business days.

Personally, I can’t think of a holiday activity more spirited than getting a group of friends together and throwing an Elf watch party complete with a couple bowls of Buddy’s spaghetti (other than spreading Christmas cheer by singing loud for all to hear, obviously). You could even wait until the 24th to throw it together, and swap out your usual cookies for Santa. Either way, your affinity for elf culture won’t go unappreciated.