![\"Lay's](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Lays-Cheddar-Bacon-Mac-Cheese-Potato-Chips.jpeg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
To my dear Impulsive Buy readers: <\/p>\n
I have a bit of a confession to make.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re as attentive to my reviews as my ego likes to imagine you are, you may have noticed my reviews on this site focus 100 percent on sugar. I completely avoid the fast food section. Some of this has to do with the fact that the closest McDonald\u2019s is a half hour excursion, but it also has to do with the fact that I don\u2019t really eat meat.<\/p>\n
I know, I am sorry.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m definitely not about to get all PETA on anyone, I just never really liked meat and decided the easiest way to get out of eating burnt hamburgers at cookouts was to just give it up. This has worked well, except for one exception. Bacon.<\/p>\n
The thing is, most other meats have some form of suitable substitute out there. But bacon is irreplaceable; it\u2019s God\u2019s bookmark. Have you ever tried the horrendous slices of fake bacon that look like the polymer clay art projects I used to make in Girl Scouts? <\/p>\n
So instead of giving up bacon, I have spent the last five years hosting brunches so that I can fill my apartment with the smell of bacon fat, \u201caccidentally\u201d eating the veggie dishes that I know have bacon bits in them, and using Bacon Salt far more liberally than I should. I am a fraud, and this is my confessional.<\/p>\n
I had high hopes for these Lay\u2019s Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese Potato Chips, since they had the potential to fulfill my bacon cravings without coming across as a complete hypocrite to all those who think I\u2019m a real vegetarian. And while they weren\u2019t as innovative as some of the other flavor submissions I saw, like \u201cSalty Tears of Regret\u201d and \u201cPlacenta,\u201d bacon and mac & cheese are both pretty safe flavors in the salty snacks category.<\/p>\n
![\"Lay's](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Lays-Cheddar-Bacon-Mac-Cheese-Potato-Chips-Bag.jpeg?resize=600%2C404&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n
After opening the bag, I got a strong whiff of cheddar, and that\u2019s about it. In my first few bites, all I could think about were the cheddar and sour cream chips I used to inhale. Thinking that maybe my palate was lacking its bacon detecting skills, I consulted my roommate in a taste test without letting her know what flavor they were. She too thought they were just cheddar and sour cream. If I really<\/i> paid close attention, I could detect a slight bacon-y aftertaste. But I can also not identify a single point in my life where I have sat down and mindfully thought about each bite of a chip instead of just chomping on handfuls.<\/p>\n
Because I was unconvinced in my first taste of these, I left about half the bag sitting in my room for a week to go back for a second test. And because I am lazy and bad at storing food, I left the bag completely open to go stale. Strangely, on this test, I could detect much more bacon flavor. It may have had something to do with the soft stale chip texture being reminiscent of bacon fat, but I may also just be crazy and searching for a satisfying meatless bacon substitute.<\/p>\n
![\"Lay's](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Lays-Cheddar-Bacon-Mac-Cheese-Potato-Chips-Closeup.jpeg?resize=600%2C443&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n
Of all the Do Us a Flavor finalists, Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese is near the top. But I would vote for the Wasabi Ginger instead just because these seem too similar to current offerings. <\/p>\n
I dream of an America where we can have the ridiculous assortment of chip flavors that they have overseas. However, I\u2019m not sure if the general consumer is as amped at the thought of salmon teriyaki chips as I am, so I see these easily appealing to the widest audience.<\/p>\n
If you know you\u2019re not an adventurous eater, these would be the chips to try. Otherwise, I\u2019d recommend trying all the finalists. You can find them in small bags and you can force your friends to eat the ones you don\u2019t like without telling them what they are. Although they\u2019re pretty mainstream, they\u2019re pretty good. I\u2019ll just keep my fingers crossed for Lay’s Placenta Potato Chips next year.<\/p>\n
(Nutrition Facts – 1 oz\/about 15 chips \u2013 160 calories, 90 calories from fat, 10 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 320 milligrams of potassium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)<\/small><\/p>\n
Item:<\/b> Lay\u2019s Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese Potato Chips
\nPurchased Price:<\/b> $2.00
\nSize:<\/b> 2 7\/8 oz bag
\nPurchased at:<\/b> Co-op Food Stores
\nRating:<\/b> 7 out of 10
\nPros:<\/b> Safe flavor. Appealing combo. Finding ways to still secretly get bacon in my life. Flavor intensifies when stale. Forcing your friends to eat gross food without knowing it. Placenta chips of the future.
\nCons:<\/b> Predictable. Taste like cheddar and sour cream chips. Having to eat mindfully and slowly to detect the actual bacon flavor. Fakin\u2019 Bacon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
To my dear Impulsive Buy readers: I have a bit of a confession to make. If you\u2019re as attentive to my reviews as my ego likes to imagine you are, you may have noticed my reviews on this site focus 100 percent on sugar. I completely avoid the fast food section. Some of this has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1440],"tags":[1474,1476],"class_list":["post-17536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","tag-chips","tag-lays"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":61024,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2024\/03\/11\/lays-ihop-rooty-tooty-fresh-n-fruity-potato-chips-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":17536,"position":0},"title":"REVIEW: Lay’s IHOP Rooty Tooty Fresh’ N Fruity Potato Chips","author":"Marvo","date":"March 11, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"If you're in Camp Savory Potato Chips Only and think potato chips with sweetness are an abomination, and you feel sorry for the potatoes that were used to make them, um, I'd avoid these Lay's IHOP Rooty Tooty Fresh' N Fruity Potato Chips. The Walmart-exclusive flavor features a seasoning that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/laysihop1-600x600.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/laysihop1-600x600.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/laysihop1-600x600.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":69661,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2025\/05\/02\/lays-bacon-grilled-cheese-potato-chips-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":17536,"position":1},"title":"REVIEW: Lay’s Do Us a Flavor Bacon Grilled Cheese Potato Chips","author":"Marvo","date":"May 2, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"It's been far too long since we've experienced a Lay's Do Us a Flavor contest. It's been so long that I don't even remember when the last one was or what the flavors were without having to Google it. This year's crop of flavors includes Valentina & Lime, Korean-Style Fried\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/laysduafbagch1-600x600.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/laysduafbagch1-600x600.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/laysduafbagch1-600x600.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20160,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2016\/06\/07\/review-lays-creamy-bacon-potato-salad-potato-chips\/","url_meta":{"origin":17536,"position":2},"title":"REVIEW: Lay’s Creamy Bacon Potato Salad Potato Chips","author":"Vin","date":"June 7, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Barbeque season is upon us once again, and your old friend Vin is here to share a dirty little secret with you. No one really likes your potato salad. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the side dish you made\/bought is not as big a hit as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lay's Creamy Bacon Potato Salad Potato Chips","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7373\/26882662184_d322502169_z.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":24149,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2017\/08\/25\/review-lays-bacon-wrapper-jalapeno-poppers-potato-chips\/","url_meta":{"origin":17536,"position":3},"title":"REVIEW: Lay’s Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers Potato Chips","author":"Brian","date":"August 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"A recent Gatorade campaign featuring the best athletes of the last three decades identifies a surprising motivator common amid these elite performers: the staggering defeats they experienced. In response to the failure, they found the secret to victory was to work harder, work smarter, and not let the next opportunity\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lay s Bacon Wrapper Jalapeno Poppers Potato Chips","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Lays-Bacon-Wrapper-Jalapeno-Poppers-Potato-Chips.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Lays-Bacon-Wrapper-Jalapeno-Poppers-Potato-Chips.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Lays-Bacon-Wrapper-Jalapeno-Poppers-Potato-Chips.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19700,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2016\/02\/24\/review-lays-smoked-gouda-chive-potato-chips-flavor-swap\/","url_meta":{"origin":17536,"position":4},"title":"REVIEW: Lay’s Smoked Gouda & Chive Potato Chips (Flavor Swap)","author":"Marvo","date":"February 24, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"In the Lay\u2019s potato chip flavor universe, Cheddar & Sour Cream has lived in the shadow of sour cream & onion. If sour cream & onion is the more popular Ben Affleck, then Cheddar & Sour Cream is Casey Affleck. Or if you\u2019re looking for an Affleck-less reference, sour cream\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lay's Smoked Gouda & Chive Potato Chips (Flavor Swap)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm2.staticflickr.com\/1566\/24600928684_3697994079_z.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11837,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2012\/04\/13\/review-lays-classic-blt-potato-chips\/","url_meta":{"origin":17536,"position":5},"title":"REVIEW: Lay’s Classic BLT Potato Chips","author":"Adam","date":"April 13, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I want you to close your eyes for a moment and imagine a Classic BLT sandwich. 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