I Tried the Beloved Cheese Dudes, and the Delightfully Vintage Recipe Will Now Be Invited to All of My Parties

I’m an equal opportunity cheese cheerleader. On a charcuterie board, in a bowl of mac, melted inside a sandwich, blended into a creamy dip, or otherwise, save me a serving (or two), please. It seems like I’m not alone in the fromage fan club, because some of the most viral recipes as of late put a bright spotlight on cheese. After falling in love with Cheese Dreams and Ina Garten’s ultra-easy Parmesan Crisps, I’ve been keeping my eyes open for other creative remixes to consider. 

My social media algorithm delivered, when it served up @thechefandwife’s wildly popular video with a demonstration for something called “Cheese Dudes.” One viewer chimed in via the comments to say, “I’ve never been so confused and intrigued by a recipe at the same time. I’m gonna have to try these.” Same.

How to Make Cheese Dudes 

Besides “what are cheese dudes?” the first question that came to mind was, “who is the chef and wife?” It’s Jason and Kate, the duo behind the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based catering and meal order business. By sharing their “Midwest flavors and intentional food,” they’ve racked up more than 23,000 followers on TikTok and 109,000 on Instagram.

Jason or Kate aren’t the ones demonstrating how to bring the dudes to life, though. It’s Kate’s dad. Here’s how to DIY:

1. Shred the cheese. Grate a block of cheddar cheese until you have 1 cup of firmly-packed shreds.
2. Mix the dough. In a large bowl, mix together a stick of butter, a spoonful of Dijon mustard, and the shredded cheese. (Dad uses a potato masher, although a fork or clean hands work, too.) Using a spatula, stir in flour, a few shakes of hot sauce, salt, and Rice Krispies cereal.
3. Form a log, slice, and bake. Shape the dough into a 1-inch diameter log, then slice into ¼- to ½-inch thick rounds. Place the dudes on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and bake at 350°F for 14 minutes.

Tips for Making Cheese Dudes

With just 5 ingredients and about 30 minutes of time, you can have a batch of cheese dudes ready to devour. Before you run off to make them, I have a few pointers based on my trial and the wisdom of our Test Kitchen:

• Shred it yourself. Yes, it’s convenient to be able to buy pre-shredded cheese by the bag in the dairy section of the supermarket; and that works just fine in certain circumstances. But since store-bought shreds are coated in anti-caking agents to reduce the risk that they’ll clump up in the package, for the best meltability, we recommend investing in a block of cheese. Once you have that home, use a box grater, rotary grater (the kind with a crank that spins), or a food processor fitted with a shredding disc to conquer the task quickly and safely.
• Start with softened. The viral cheese dudes recipe doesn’t specify the status of the butter. If you start with cold, straight-from-the-fridge butter, it will be challenging to incorporate into the dough—and may result in large pockets of cheese that lead to greasy patches in the crackers. Start with softened butter for the best results.
• Feel free to scoop instead of slice. In the video, Kate’s dad shapes several smaller logs to slice into round cookies. This works just fine—and is a wise idea if you’d like to wrap and refrigerate or freeze the dough to slice and bake later. For an easier and slightly less messy alternative, consider using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to form balls, then use a fork to press on top with a cross-hatch pattern (peanut butter cookie-style!) to flatten the dough into discs.
• Watch the clock. Depending on how thick you slice or press these crackers, their cook time may vary quite a bit. Take a peek at 12 minutes, and keep in mind that the dudes may take up to 25 minutes to cook. Remove them from the oven when they're firm but not yet brown.

The Verdict on the Popular Cheese Dudes Recipe

As I sampled my first crunchy, cheese, craving-busting cracker, which was reminiscent of a Cheez-It with the volume turned up, I couldn’t resist doing some research online to determine if there were deeper roots to this easy snack recipe beyond Kate’s dad.

Turns out, “Cheese Dudes” is a synonym for a classic recipe that was all the rage at Tupperware parties and other potlucks throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, according to Karlynn of The Kitchen Magpie. Our friends at Southern Living actually included a nearly identical dish in 2014’s The Southern Living Community Cookbook: Celebration Food and Fellowship in the American South, and called it Crispy Cheese Wafers. Chef Courtney Waddell shared her grandma’s rendition with our sister brand Food & Wine, and deemed it Cheese Crisps.

Whatever you call these easy, cheesy crackers, they’re crowd-pleasing, last about a week on the counter (stored in an airtight container, if you’re lucky enough to have extra!), and can easily be doctored up with other spices or a handful of chopped nuts to make the recipe your own.

Besides eating Cheese Dudes on their own alongside your favorite drink, I imagine they’ll be amazing dunked into tomato soup, as a vessel for appetizers like Buffalo Chicken Dip and Whipped Feta, or used as a cheesy alternative to croutons or crackers to crumble over dinners like Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Casserole or Million Dollar Chicken Casserole.