Alton Brown Proudly Loves One Pantry Ingredient You Wouldn't Expect

Before we tell you this tantalizing little tidbit, we're going to need you to lock up your pitchforks for your own safety and the safety of others. Alton Brown, the Bill Nye of the kitchen, has one surprisingly controversial food take — he loves Kraft grated parmesan cheese and he feels not one iota of shame about it. "Call me trash," he said on Instagram, "but I will snort this stuff like the cellulose powder stepped on cow candy that it is."

As you can imagine, this revelation caused quite a stir amongst Brown's followers. Affectionately known by some as "sprinkle cheese," Kraft grated parmesan is technically about as far as something could be from authentic cheese without becoming something else entirely. It's made from a blend of grated parmesan and cellulose powder, an anti-clumping filler that became a virally controversial ingredient when some folks erroneously claimed that it was actually sawdust.

Cellulose powder isn't sawdust, though, and while some grated parmesan cheese may contain wood pulp, the kind used in most shelf-stable parmesan cheese powders usually doesn't. Even if it were, cellulose powder is harmless in the amounts found in parmesan. Kraft's version, for example, contains about 3.8% cellulose powder, well within the generally accepted range. But if you don't let this particular ingredient deter you, there are actually a lot of easy and delicious ways to use this type of condiment. 

Though no one would argue that parmesan in a can is authentic Parmigiano Reggiano, there is an upside to the additives — parmesan cheese powder is almost indefinitely shelf-stable. It lasts forever in the pantry before opening and after, it stays edible in the fridge as long as nothing is growing on it, for a year or even longer. Check the label for yourself — instead of an "expiration" or "sell by" date, you'll find a "best by" date, after which point the quality and flavor of the cheese may not be its best but it's still perfectly safe to eat.

So that little green can that's still sitting in the back of your fridge will be good whenever you need it, whether that's because you ran out of the real stuff or because you've got a secret sweet spot in your heart for it. And who could blame you? Sprinkle cheese has a legitimate place in any kitchen. That place probably isn't on top of a steaming plate of pasta carbonara but it shines under the right circumstances.

For example, the powdery texture of pre-grated cheese makes it a great addition to any breading. Add it to fried chicken, pork chops, roast zucchini, shoestring fries, and more for an unbeatable golden-brown crunch. You can even sprinkle it on top of buttered popcorn with some cracked black pepper for a little extra oomph. Don't worry, it can be our little secret.