Smokey Mesquite BBQ Kraft Fresh Take Review

By now I've sampled several of the Kraft Fresh Take line of cheese and breadcrumb mixes. I haven't reviewed all of the ones I've tried, but I did share my thoughts on the Italian Parmesan version.

We tried the Smokey Mesquite BBQ version on boneless pork chops. The directions are pretty much the same on all packages so we just followed what temperature/time/etc. the directions said. However, since I've done this a few times I've learned to only coat the top and sides (if it's a thick enough cut of meat) with the coating, NOT THE BOTTOM! Even if I put foil down and spray it with cooking spray, the bottom ends up burnt and kind of gross most of the time. Instead of wasting that coating, I just pile it up on top.

After baking for the correct amount of time, it looks like this:

We had it with mashed potatoes and a huge salad that night.

So now I bet you're wondering how it actually tasted. It was actually pretty good. I'd probably put it as second favorite, only to be outdone by Southwest Three Cheese. It had the BBQ taste down for sure and with the hint of cheesy goodness...YUM! I imagine this being a great topping for chicken, especially if you're in an area that gets especially cold winters like we do in Ohio and you find yourself craving something reminiscent of summer. This just might do the trick! It's got a great BBQ sauce taste without all the mess and without having to fire up a grill.

Another great benefit of all the Fresh Take flavors I've tried, regardless of whether or not I liked the actual flavor, is that they do an amazing job at locking the moisture in the meat. I have yet to overcook or dry out a piece of chicken with this coating on it, nor have I turned pork chops into thin, crispy, very crunchy "bat wings*" that they can sometimes turn into if you don't keep an eye on them.

Have you tried any of the Kraft Fresh Take flavors? Which is your favorite?

*"bat wings" refers to a scene in the movie The Three Amigos where the guys are eating bat wings in the dessert. As children, my sister and I thought our mom's pork chops sometimes resembled these bat wings.