REVIEW: Baked! Lay’s Parmesan and Tuscan Herb

There was a time when I liked Baked Lay’s and thought it was one of the greatest snacks ever invented, but I no longer have the same feelings. Of course, I enjoyed it in the late 1990s to early 2000s, when I had poor judgement and taste.

How poor?

Let me just say I had Creed’s “Higher” playing in heavy rotation on my Aiwa XP-V320 compact disc player and I wore a lot of jeans shorts with strategically placed tears in them.

But I’m glad I tried Baked Lay’s because it made me realize Creed was a shitty band and jeans shorts with strategically placed tears in them were never cool.

My love for Baked Lay’s was fleeting, just like Justin Bieber’s girlish voice will be after he passes puberty. I enjoyed it because it was a healthier alternative to regular potato chips. But the more I ate it, the more I realized it was a poor tasting substitute with the texture of a dehydrated sponge. When I finally came to this conclusion, it opened my eyes and made me realize I had no sense of fashion and that Scott Stapp was no Eddie Vedder.

Creed songs were like Baked Lay’s and visa versa. Both of them brought me no pleasure. As uplifting as their lyrics seemed, Creed songs have never made me feel good or made me want to play air guitar. And as healthy as they were, eating Baked Lay’s has never comforted me in a way that a bag of greasy potato chips does or made me want to get every last crumb of it by resting one of the bag’s open corners on my bottom lip and flicking the bag to let gravity bring whatever crumbs remain to my awaiting mouth.

Even when Lay’s introduced their cheddar and sour cream & onion varieties, I thought they were the Baked Lay’s version of Creed’s blander album Weathered. However, while Creed has gotten worse, Baked Lay’s has gotten better thanks to their latest flavor — Baked! Lay’s Parmesan and Tuscan Herb.

Unlike the cheddar and sour cream & onions versions, the Baked! Lay’s Parmesan and Tuscan Herb has a robust flavor that does a good job of hiding the fact that you’re eating a snack with the texture of a dehydrated sponge. The potato crisps (not chips, crisps) have a strong parmesan scent, which made me feel like I was snorting some lines of Kraft 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese with Chester Cheetah. However, while eating the crisps, the parmesan was less noticeable and the Tuscan herbs took over the flavor. I’m not sure what “Tuscan herbs” are, but in the ingredients list there’s basil, parsley, rosemary and dehydrated green and red bell peppers. The crisps’ flavor also has a hint of sour cream and a slight spicy kick.

Overall, the Baked! Lay’s Parmesan and Tuscan Herb was very tasty and slightly changed my opinion of Baked Lay’s. While its flavor does bring me some pleasure, it hasn’t changed my opinion that original Baked Lay’s sucks.

It sucks Creed hard.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 ounce – 120 calories, 3 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 1 gram of monounsaturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 310 milligrams of potassium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, 2 grams of protein, 2% calcium, 2% vitamin E and 2% iron.)

Item: Baked! Lay’s Parmesan and Tuscan Herb
Price: $3.49 (on sale)
Size: 8.75 ounces
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Robust flavor. Has a slight kick. Better for you than regular potato chips. Pearl Jam. Snorting lines of Kraft 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese with Chester Cheetah
Cons: Texture like a dehydrated sponge. Creed. Not as comforting as regular potato chips. Creed. Jeans shorts with strategically placed tears. Creed. What I liked in the late 1990s to early 2000s. Creed. Original Baked Lay’s.

16 thoughts to “REVIEW: Baked! Lay’s Parmesan and Tuscan Herb”

  1. Before I found out who Justin Bieber was, I thought he was a young masculine woman. I was going to use another description but I thought better.

  2. Creed, creed….

    I think creed had a longer “Good-Era” compared to how short lived the good Papa Roach was.

  3. You know that Creed is suppose to be coming back on some reunion tour right?? Make sure to bring your Baked Lays and check em out ha ha

  4. @Lane O: I think from now on I shall call him Justine Bieber.

    @ReviewScout: Papa who?

    @amanda: They’re still alive? Creed is like a cockroach.

  5. I imagine every embarrassing detail of your life will eventually be revealed through this blog. That’s one of the reasons we all keep coming back. 😉

  6. As someone who kinda sorta likes Baked Lays (maybe–it’s been a few years), I think these could be right up my alley! Consider me on the hunt.

  7. Baked!

    Yes, great idea. I think I will go get Baked! now.

    Then maybe some chips. But not parmesan….parmesan is reserved for green beans!!! (Canned and microwaved, so good).

  8. I’ve decided to move past the jeans shorts entirely and just say that Baked Lay’s always reminded me of Pringles, and Pringles are just pressed potato flakes, so that’s not really a good thing. I’d also like to add that Kraft parmesan cheese is totally shitty, and I didn’t realize that until I was about 25 and had real grated parmesan for the first time. It’s amazing what you learn as you grow older. And fatter.

  9. @Orchid64: Here’s another embarrassing fact: I used to think wearing long black socks with shorts was cool.

    @maxchain: Go forth and conquer, my friend.

    @Sarah Lynn: Parmesan is also good with broccoli and for enhancing shitty pasta sauce.

    @Kelley: I think I have to stick with the Kraft parmesan cheese because that’s the only stuff Chester Cheetah brings over when we do lines of if off of a gazelle’s back.

  10. Having already tried these, I still say that sticking with the crunchier and saltier Alter Bridge, I mean Baked Ruffles, is the way to go.

  11. Michael Jackson’s voice was always girlish. I hope Justin Bieber escapes the same fate. Actually, I really don’t care that much but it would suck to be grown up and still sounding like you’re 12.

  12. @Dubba: I have yet to try Baked Ruffles. For some strange reason they aren’t available here on this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Baked Ruffles have been around for a long time, but I have yet to see them here. I think it’s some kind of conspiracy.

    @Chuck: It would be worse if he still has a swagger coach when he’s older.

  13. @Royal and BRIAN: I have tried the Southwestern Ranch Baked Lay’s and I think they’re very good too. Same level of flavor as these.

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