McDonald's earlier this week launched its new and improved Christmas menu, with fast food fans rushing to their local branch to see what all of the fuss is about.

And while the big wigs at the Golden Arches recently decided to axe a number of fan favourites - we're looking at you the Philly Cheese Stack - they made way for brand-new never-before-seen products for fans to indulge in.

The McCrispy BBQ Smokehouse also said a fond farewell, while the highly-rated chilli cheese bites too made their exit. Meanwhile, many were sad to see the back of the Toffee Apple McFlurry, Halloween M&Ms McFlurry, Toffee Apple Pie and the Apple Donut.

But in return for the sacrifices made, we welcomed a number of new items to the menu for the next month or so - with old favourites once again making a special appearance alongside completely new options. The chicken Big Mac is back with a bang, as well as the moreish Cheese Melt Dippers and their tangy tomato dipping sauce.

• Read more: Fast food giant McDonald's makes major change to menu - and fans aren't happy
  
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The new and exciting McDonald's Chicken Combo has also been rolled out - comprising of ten chicken selects and a share box of 20 McNuggets - as well as an abundance of desserts in the Galaxy Chocolate McFlurry, the Galaxy Caramel McFlurry and the Galaxy Caramel Pie.

However, the real show-stealer whenever McDonald's launches a new menu is the brand-new burger that comes with it. And McDonald's this week launched the Big and Cheesy burger (which comes with or without bacon) - a 100% beef patty topped with two slices of cheese, red onions, crispy onions and lashed with cheese sauce, wrapped up in a extra-large flour-dusted bun.

On the face of things, it sounds like an absolute delight - and a fitting replacement for the beloved Philly Cheese Stack which was literally swimming in ooey and gooey cheese sauce. But sometimes, McDonald's misses the mark totally when putting ideas into practice - need I remind you of the vile McPlant burger I had the displeasure of sampling earlier this year? And that's coming from someone who likes plant-based options.

So I headed to my local McDonald's to see if the hype is real, or if it was letdown of the year. Here's what I found out.

First off, lets talk about prices. The Big and Cheesy burger on its own will set you back £5.79, while a medium meal will cost you £8.09. If you want to add bacon to that, the prices increase to £6.69 and £8.89 respectively.

I know we're in the middle of a cost of living crisis, but I miss the days where you could go to Maccies with a fiver, get a meal and still come out with change afterwards. The prices at McDonald's are bordering what you would pay for a sit down meal at your local 'Spoons, and it makes me incredibly uncomfortable.

Regardless, I opted for the addition of bacon on my burger - after all it is Black Friday weekend so you have to treat yourself. I headed home and tucked in while it was still warm. The burger comes in a rather large box - maybe the same size as a Big Tasty - and has cute little Christmas animations running along the bottom edge.

Flipping the lid, I was greeted with a humongous flour-dusted bap as promised, with cheese, bacon, lettuce and onions running out of it. McDonald's definitely didn't stinge on the toppings of my order.

The burger itself is also about the size of a Big Tasty, and the two are pretty comparable in many ways. The tender beef patty is thicker than your average McDonald's burger, and the sweet, crunchy lettuce is far chunkier than that of a Big Mac. The onions are also larger than life, with stringy bacon rashers tucked under a blanket of classic McDonald's cheese.

Crispy onions top the burger off with a touch of texture, before it's drenched in a tangy cheese sauce - and voila, you have yourself a Big and Cheesy burger. I went in for my first bite.

The flavours all come together nicely, with each component complementing the next. The soft white bap engulfs the crunchy onions, while the lettuce and sliced onions give a certain sharpness. The patty is juicy and full of flavour, while the lashings of signature cheese sauce aren't actually too overbearing and work incredibly well.

My one qualm is the quality of the bacon in the burger. I prefer my bacon almost blackened, with a complete and utter crunch to it, whereas the stock cuts from McDonald's always come out a little underdone for my palate. Too stringy and a little gristly, maybe next time I'll opt for the version without the addition of pork.

All in all, as the namesake suggests - this burger is both big and incredibly cheesy. I'll certainly be returning to the fast food franchise for another before they stop selling them in the new menu rotation, but again, I maybe won't opt to add bacon as I thought it ruined the make-up of the dish.

For £5.79, you expect something a little more gourmet when compared to your typical Quarter Pounder with Cheese or Big Mac, and I think McDonald's definitely delivers on that with the Big and Cheesy burger. Great value for money, and I'll most certainly be scranning it again.

Have you tried any of the new McDonald's menu items yet? Let us know in the comments below.