I Tried This Polarizing Celebrity Snack and Actually Loved It

Let’s preface this by saying that I am not a picky eater and I will try anything once—so when Selena Gomez shared her baked spray cheese, pepperoni, and crackers snack or when Millie Bobby Brown said she ate ham, sriracha, and roasted red peppers on lettuce every day, of course, I’m going to give it a try. But, I have to admit, this snack that Channing Tatum enjoys had me a little worried that even I wouldn’t be able to stomach it.

While promoting his new children’s book on “Today,” the “Magic Mike” actor played a few rounds of “Fact or Fake” with hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager. During the game, Kotb and Hager had to guess whether the statements Tatum read were true or false—one of them being “My go-to sandwich is peanut butter, jelly, and Cheetos.” Kotb believed it to be false, while Hager said true, which was the correct answer.

“When I was a kid I loved peanut butter and jelly and just Cheetos [in there],” Tatum said. 

Naturally, as soon as he said it, the “Today” crew came swooping in with three sandwiches for them to try. Both Kotb and Hager liked the sandwich—with Hager saying, "If somebody says they don’t like a Cheeto, they’re lying.”

Well, I hate to be that person, but I don’t like a Cheeto. Okay, actually, that isn’t true, I don’t like the original Crunchy Cheetos (the one on this sandwich), but I do like Flamin’ Hot and Cheetos Puffs. I think the OG one tastes like feet—cue the clip of Ross Geller saying, “It tastes like feet” after trying Rachel’s meat-dessert trifle in “Friends.”

However, I knew I had to try it with the original Cheetos for science, but, luckily, Tatum made it a point to say the sandwich on “Today” had more Cheetos than he would normally add. Meaning, I felt like just throwing a few Cheetos on there instead of adding a full layer would be what Tatum would want. 

So, I grabbed some classic white bread, peanut butter, my favorite jam, and a bag of crunchy corn snacks and set off to work on assembly.

I Tried Channing Tatum's Favorite 4-Ingredient Snack

The PB+J+C sandwich is pretty self-explanatory. The only notes Tatum gave on “Today” was that he normally uses fewer Cheetos and more jam. So, I went for a jam-heavy ratio, with a good amount of peanut butter and just a small handful of Cheetos on white bread. Tatum didn’t say what flavors or brands he uses, but I opted for Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves and Jif Creamy Peanut Butter.

Seeing the bright orange finger-like Cheetos sticking out of the sandwich, I was a little nervous for my first bite, but I was pleasantly surprised—actually, I was shocked—at how much I enjoyed it.

Growing up in Pittsburgh, I’m no stranger to adding what some may consider weird toppings to sandwiches—from potato chips to french fries. And honestly, this is basically the same thing. 

The Cheetos are really only there to give the sandwich that added crunch. A PB+J is already pretty flavorful, so I couldn’t even taste the cheese dust, which is why I liked it. I enjoyed the textural difference between the soft white bread and the crunchy Cheetos without the flavor being impacted.

Preconceived notions aside, I can see why Tatum called this his desert island food in a Reddit AMA—well, this and a “magical seashell that's always filled with bourbon.” It might not join my regular rotation, but now that I have an open bag of Cheetos that I don’t know what to do with, I could definitely see myself making the sandwich again—and you should too.