Stephanie Aanenson anticipates the question before I can even ask it.
“You know, it’s funny, we were going to call it ‘Juicy Lucy,’” the director of brand and product management for Old Dutch explains. We’re on the phone to talk about one of the Roseville-headquartered snack manufacturer’s seasonal releases for the summer of ’26, a super savory, very tasty seasoned Rip-L chip dubbed “Stuffed Cheeseburger.”
I couldn’t wait to get my filthy mitts on a box after seeing them on Old Dutch’s Instagram, but yes… I wondered about the name. It turns out company attorneys contacted the trademark holders for the phrase—5-8 Club in Minneapolis—who were lovely about potentially lending it out, but there were just too many “potential legal hoops” involved, Aanenson says. Plus, Old Dutch distributes outside of Minnesota, and not everyone knows what a Juicy Lucy is.
“But we were so close to calling it Juicy Lucy,” Aanenson chuckles. “Our social media posts have been like, ‘Juicy Lucy-inspired Stuffed Cheeseburger chips.’”
A Juicy Lucy-esque chip: It’s an idea so strange, so simple, and so ‘Sota I can’t believe no one’s thought of it before. Old Dutch regularly releases limited-time offerings, including its summer “snacksations,” and Aanenson says developing the ideas involves looking at what’s trending—what’s already showing up in restaurants, what’s just on the cusp of being everywhere—and working with seasoning suppliers to figure out what’s possible.
“We’re like a down-home, meat and potatoes company, so we’re not usually the first to jump on something totally out there and crazy because it’s just not what our consumer base is looking for,” she says. They’re looking for flavors that would have broad appeal for people in the Upper Midwest while managing to be exciting and interesting.
For example, Aanenson says her team has been seeing “sweet and hot” trending at the snack trade shows they visit (dream job, am I right?) for a few years now. That’s why Old Dutch added Sweet Heat—a mango habanero flavor profile, though they didn’t want to scare folks off with those exact words—to the lineup last year, and why Watermelon Jalapeño is one of its other summer ‘26 limited releases.
But it doesn’t hurt if you can tie a new chip to something that’s already popular in the region: case in point, Stuffed Cheeseburger. Available since May at Cub, Festival Foods, Lunds & Byerlys, and other grocery stores, it’s gotta be the most Minnesota Old Dutch chip since the company's founding in 1934.
It’d be one thing if Stuffed Cheeseburger was just a good gimmick, but the chips are genuinely tasty. The first thing that hits you when you open a bag is the smell, which I can only describe as burgery. It’s a slightly smoky scent, like you’re standing next to someone manning a charcoal grill at the cookout.
The chips have the sturdy, crispy Old Dutch crunch you’d expect, and the flavor is… I mean, it’s a cheeseburger in a chip. They’re a little oniony, a little garlicky, and salty in a good way. Like a classic Old Dutch chip, they’re delicious dunked in Top the Tater. (It is Racket’s official position that Rip-L chips are the ONLY acceptable vehicle for Top the Tater.) Have I dipped them in ketchup? I have. It works. Don’t make that face at me—are you a serious snacker or not?
“Those meat seasonings are often so tough to really get right, but I think we really nailed it with this one,” Aanenson beams.
And the name? It hasn’t hurt sales one bit; they’re nearly sold out already. I picked up the box pictured above at my neighborhood Cub just a few days ago, but with the holiday weekend ahead…
“We actually are totally out of materials, so what is in the market now is what is going to be there—until we hopefully bring it back next year,” Aanenson says.
