Happy Christmas Eve to everyone who is celebrating today! And if you don’t celebrate, well I hope you’re actually still celebrating by taking the day off and hopefully cooking and baking up some delicious food! Today is one of the first real days off I’ve had in, well, I can’t even really remember. I’m spending the day with Asher in the kitchen cooking away and wrapping gifts. My family is thankfully all together here in Colorado and I can’t wait to celebrate Christmas with them. I wanted to share one more last-minute recipe with you guys, simply because I LOVE these crackers so much. Trying to keep this short today, so I’ll jump right into the details.
The Inspiration.
First up, these are addicting. If you love a salty, smoky, savory cracker, you’re going to love these. They’re inspired by this year’s sweet and savory bacon twists. But also by the seasoned saltine crackers, or “fire crackers” I’ve seen on Pinterest. I enjoy their saltiness, but I’ve always wondered why you’d choose a Saltine when you could have a Ritz instead. Personally, Ritz are my crackers of choice, so I did a quick Instagram poll to see if you all would agree. And the verdict? Ritz won as the favorite cracker…and by a landslide.
With that info, I was sold on my idea. I’d make seasoned, buttery Ritz crackers… And you guys?! I really can’t express enough just how good these are. As I said above, they really are addicting. Salty, a touch smoky, herby, and spicy, but with a hint of sweetness. All the good stuff, and all SO delish.
The Process.
One of the great things about these crackers? They are so EASY. Simply toss the seasoning mix, brown sugar, garlic, onion, fresh sage (or try thyme/rosemary), oregano, lots of smoky paprika, cayenne, and chili flakes, together with melted butter. Add the crackers and toss very well to fully coat, then bake until golden crisp. All. The. VERY. GOOD. Things. And so simple too. The key spice here is the smoky paprika. You guys know it’s my favorite spice to use. I love pairing it in a sweet and savory way with just a touch of brown sugar. It makes the spice even more delicious. If you don’t like any kind of smoky, simply use regular paprika.
You can assemble these crackers ahead of time. They’re delicious warm out of the oven, but equally delicious once cooled. So you see? These are pretty close to being the perfect holiday appetizer. And the herbs keep them flavorful and festive too. Excited to bake these up today, but I’m making a double batch. My brothers have already requested them, along with a good cheese board and mom’s Christmas Eve Chex mix! And with that, I think I’ll leave you all with this recipe so you can recreate it to share with whomever you’re celebrating with. Just a reminder, there will be no blog post on Christmas Day, but we’ll be back on Saturday for a special cocktail post. And if you follow along on Instagram, I’ll be cooking my holiday recipes and sharing some family fun as well. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas…filled with (many) HBH recipes! MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!!
Looking for other last minute and easy appetizers? Here are my favorites: Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Twists Mom’s Secret Christmas Eve Chex Mix Mini Pastry Wrapped Cranberry Baked Brie Bites How to Make an Easy Holiday Cheese Board Cranberry Brie Pull Apart Bread Goat Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates with Rosemary Honey Lastly, if you make these Sweet and Spicy Seasoned Crackers, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
