Shake 'n Bake, manufactured by Kraft Foods, is a flavored bread crumb-style coating for chicken and pork. The product is applied by placing raw meat pieces in a bag containing the coating, closing the bag, and shaking so the particles adhere. The coated meat is then baked in the oven. First introduced in 1965 by General Foods, it is currently marketed under the Kraft brand.
Concept
Shake 'n Bake mimics the texture on the outside of fried foods and is similar to a bread crumb coating. It provides a baked alternative preparation to that of fried chicken and other fried foods that use cooking oil. Shake 'n Bake has been marketed as a healthier and less-greasy alternative to frying, with slogans such as, "Shake 'n Bake: It's better than frying", and "Why fry? Shake 'n Bake".
Shake 'n Bake is particularly noted for its television commercials in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, starring such child actors as Carrie Jean Cochran, Carly Schroeder, Taylor Momsen, and Philip Amelio. In the ads, the aforementioned children help make Shake 'n Bake with their mothers, enthusiastically exclaiming, "And, I helped!" Advertisements for Shake 'n Bake in 1981 included Ann B. Davis, who played Alice the housekeeper on The Brady Bunch. The ad copy includes the catchphrases, "Gotta be crispy, gotta be golden, gotta be juicy", and, "You just shake then bake, and that chicken's so crisp and juicy and golden it makes me look golden, if you know what I mean". In 1990, two commercials were produced which show what pork chops and chicken look like after frying. They then show that pork chops and chicken are crispier, juicier, more plump, and more tender when used with Shake n' Bake than when fried. They conclude with, "Why fry? Shake n' Bake". In 1998, a new commercial was tried with a different catchphrase: "Mama made Shake 'n Bake, and I helped".
The generic term "Shake and Bake" has multiple uses in popular culture. Examples in numerous areas are discussed at Shake and Bake. Several examples from arts, entertainment, and media are listed below.
Film
In the film Aliens, Van Leuwen says of Hadley's Hope: "It's what we call a Shake 'n Bake colony. They set up atmosphere processors to make the air breathable...big job. Takes decades. They've already been there over twenty years. Peacefully."
In , Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr use "shake'n'bake" as their catchphrase throughout the movie.
In The Air Up There, Jimmy Dolan's signature move from his playing days was the "Jimmy Dolan shake and bake."
Television
In Family Guy Season 3, episode 12 - "To Love and Die in Dixie" - Lois says she made dinner with Shake 'n Bake, and Stewie replies, "And I helped!", echoing a line from the product's commercials.
On The Simpsons, Homer is seen to like Shake 'n Bake. When working as a food critic he claims Marge's cooking only has two moves, shake and bake, to which Marge replies, "You like Shake 'n Bake, you used to put it in your coffee".
Books
A special multi-page introductory comic in the Calvin and HobbesLazy Sunday Book shows Calvin, as Spaceman Spiff, using a setting on his zorch gun entitled "Shake and Bake".
