During a celebration on Public Square, Troy Mayor Michael L. Beamish proclaimed it “Lay’s Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese Potato Chip Day” in the city, Allen’s hometown.
Area residents sampled Allen’s chips.
With help from his wife Danielle, he came up with his recipe for cheddar bacon mac and cheese working as a part-time firefighter in Trotwood and Vandalia.
“It was my turn to cook (at the firehouse) and I had no idea what I was doing,” he said. “It is a good recipe and easy to make.”
Allen said Danielle encouraged him to enter the Lay’s contest after seeing an Internet ad.
“We were just sitting around the house, and she said you should enter that flavor,” the graduate of Troy High School and Sinclair Community College Fire Science Technology program said.
Allen’s chips hit area stores Monday.
He loves the final product, which was honed by a professional chef.
“It is a faint noodle taste,” he said. “You can definitely taste the bacon and the cheddar.”
Lay’s received about 14 million submissions in this year’s contest.
Allen’s Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese chips are battling it out against chip flavors submitted by three other finalists from around the nation: Lay’s Cappuccino, Lay’s Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger and Lay’s Wavy Mango Salsa.
People are invited to vote for their favorite of the four flavors through Oct. 18 at DoUsAFlavor.com.
They can also vote via Twitter, Instagram and/or Vine using the hashtags #SaveBaconMac, #SaveCappuccino, #SaveWasabi, #SaveMango. Text message "Bacon Mac," "Cappuccino," "Wasabi" or "Mango" to 24477 (CHIPS) to vote.
Only one vote per day per website or social media method.
The grand prize is $1 million. Runners up will receive $50,000.
Allen said he plans to use his winning on family members, to vacation and on his now 8-month-old son Landon’s future college education.
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