Melty Food Mashups Are Taking Over Dinner Menus In 2024

Matt Armendariz

Should you have pizza for dinner or maybe Chinese food? Is it a Taco Tuesday, or do you want to try some Thai? The latest culinary craze says you don’t have to choose. Meet the new menu makeover: the mashup.

Intuitively named, food mashups mix and match familiar favorites into something new. Sometimes, that means a combination of two different dishes from the same genre of food, like using breaded eggplant as a “noodle” to make eggplant parm lasagna. Other times, it means finding a common flavor between seemingly unrelated cuisines and creating a fusion dish, like a Mexican pizza using tortillas as a base (hat tip to Taco Bell for that one).

According to the 2024 Pinterest Predicts report, «melty mashups,» creatively-indulgent recipes are topping searches: from «pizza pot pie» (+55%) and «carbonara ramen» (+165%) to «cheeseburger tacos» (+255%) and «burger quesadilla» (+80%).

«This trend takes two ooey-gooey, treat-yourself favorites and marries them to make mouth-watering, melty mashups like 'burger quesadillas' and 'pizza pot pies.' Gen X and Boomers will feast on this all-new food fusion in 2024,» the report reads.

Because this is a newer trend with almost endless possibilities, it can feel overwhelming to try out. We reached out to a chef to get their take on how to get started with this food fad, and they gave us tons of tips for home cooks. The best news? She shared it works with any food, so however you choose to try this tasty trend, you’re bound to have fun.

Popular culture has fueled a generation of foodies. Shows like Diners Drive-ins and Dives show some creative meals you probably wouldn't come up with on your own. Competitions like Top Chef popularized trying new and exciting dishes, while