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I Never Sprinkle Breadcrumbs on Mac and Cheese — I Always Swap This Way More Flavorful (and Fun) Topping

Andrea Rivera WawrzynAssociate Food Editor
Andrea Rivera WawrzynAssociate Food Editor
I have worked in the food industry for 15 years as a chef, recipe developer, writer, and editor. Prior to joining The Kitchn, I was an Associate Editor at America’s Test Kitchen, a contributor to Serious Eats, and worked on cookbooks for Ten Speed Press, Rebel Girls, and Clarkson Potter.
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mac and cheese
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Stylist: James Park

Many people have a mac and cheese hack. Add cream cheese. Add evaporated milk. Use five cheeses. Go for broke and make it six! Lobster, pulled pork — I could go on. The well of mac and cheese add-ons will never run dry because mac and cheese is kind of a perfect food for messing with. It’s widely loved, and its creamy, cheesy flavor is pretty simple and easy to blend with something basic or, totally out of left field. Allow me, then, to offer you my favorite mac and cheese upgrade, one that I have turned to for over a decade that never misses: barbecue potato chips.

Why It Works

Feel how you may about barbecue chips on their own. They shine bright atop a creamy bowl of mac and cheese. They bring a crunch that, sure, you could get from the more expected toasted breadcrumbs, but then you’d have to, you know, actually toast breadcrumbs. Plus, the flavor of barbecue chips is also surprisingly complementary to mac and cheese. The tangy sweetness is the perfect foil to the savory richness of the cheese sauce. And the best part? They work as an add-on for any mac and cheese recipe — box or scratch-made.

Credit: Vicky Wasik

A Few Tips for Adding Barbecue Chips to Mac and Cheese

  • Crumble the chips on top of the mac. Mixing them in is a no-go; they will get soggy immediately. Crumble the chips right before serving, and sprinkle them all over the top. Be sure to crumble them well — the crumbs should be larger than breadcrumbs, but not so big that it’s hard to scoop them with a fork. 
  • Choose the best chips you can find. The flavor of the chips will be front and center, so choose a brand you really like. I’m partial to Utz, Cape Cod, and Kettle Brand. 
  • Add complementary flavors. While I’ve never met a version of mac and cheese that barbecue chips didn’t enhance, they really shine when coupled with other smoky flavors like bacon, chipotle peppers, or smoked gouda cheese. I’m getting hungry just thinking about this.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: I Never Sprinkle Breadcrumbs on Mac and Cheese — I Always Swap This Way More Flavorful (and Fun) Topping

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