Ice cream, Greek yogurt and various cheeses are used in new menu items announced today by Friendly's restaurants.

The Forbidden Fudge Brownie (three scoops of chocolate ice cream with chunks of brownie topped with hot fudge, Swiss chocolate and sprinkles) is one of several new desserts added to the menu at Friendly's restaurants.

The dessert menu also features a new Caramel Fudge Brownie Sundae (a warm brownie covered with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and one scoop of the ice cream maker's Forbidden Chocolate, hot fudge, caramel and whipped topping. A limited-time item is a toasted marshmallow ice cream with chopped peanut butter cups and swirls of toffee ripple.

Friendly's Ice Cream, Wilbraham, Mass., also announced new breakfast, lunch and dinner meals, many of which contain dairy foods. The 78-year-old restaurant and ice cream company ranks No. 63 on the Dairy 100, Dairy Foods list of the largest dairy companies in the United States and Canada.

For breakfast, Friendly's is serving brioche French toast and red velvet waffles, which include whipped cream; and a strawberry yogurt and fresh fruit parfait made with Greek-style nonfat strawberry yogurt. The Philly Steak & Cheese on an Everything Bagel is made with melted American cheese and the Chorizo Scrambler (scrambled eggs) uses Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses.

New breakfast items designed for children are the strawberry yogurt smoothie and the yogurt parfait (made with strawberry Greek-style yogurt).

Other items prepared with dairy foods include:

  • Buffalo Wings (blue cheese dressing)
  • Cheeseburger Sliders (American cheese)
  • Turkey Tip Avocado Salad (blue cheese crumble)
  • Burger Salad (Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses)
  • Crispy Chipotle Ranch SuperMelt (Cheddar cheese)
  • Philly Steak & Cheese SuperMelt (American cheese)
  • Chicken Parmesan (shaved cheese)
  • Fish Tacos (Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, sour cream)
  • Mac & Cheese (cheese)
  • Bacon Cheeseburger (American cheese)
  • Swiss Mushroom Burger (Swiss cheese)
  • Turkey Avocado Wrap (blue cheese crumbles and creamy blue cheese dressing)
  • Chili Dog (Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses)

In 2014, Friendly's won a Technomic Chain Restaurant Consumers' Choice Award, in the category of "kid-friendly restaurant."