A while back, my friend Lorraine Smith of Spray told me about her quick and easy cheesy crackers recipe and I finally got around to making them last week. They were dangerously delicious! I suggest you make these only if you can eat the whole batch in one fell swoop because they are like Fritos and potato chips that way – why stop before they are all gone? These crackers remind me of leveled up Cheez-Its. They are versatile, too. I crumbled some over a tossed green salad which made the salad seem quite fancy.
Kansas Cheesy Crackers
1 sleeve saltines
¼ cup melted butter
4 to 6 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Cayenne pepper to taste
Place the saltines salt side up on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush on melted butter then sprinkle them with cheese then dust with cayenne pepper. Broil about three minutes until just bubbly, not browned. Watch through the window or crack the oven door because they can get over-cooked in a nanosecond. Turn off the oven and leave them in with the door closed for two to six hours. Separate them with a knife, scissors or a pizza cutter. Recipes made with just a few things require the highest quality ingredients possible. I used Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese and Kerrygold Irish butter.
I had never noticed that saltines have a “salt side”. With intense concentration I took a moment to look at the cracker like I was a microbiologist studying a specimen under a microscope. There were indeed small flecks of salt on the surface and the cracker had a definite front and back side. I heeded the instructions and watched the crackers like a hawk while they were under the broiler. Just as they started to turn brown I heard a sizzling sound, so listen for that as an indicator that they are done. The crackers definitely needed to sit for a couple of hours so the flavors can meld. As an experiment, I used smoked paprika on some of them in addition to the cayenne. Next time I will try them together.
By the way, in March of this year, Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese won the Best of Class award for cheese aged six months to one year in the prestigious World Championship Cheese contest. Twenty-five countries submit 3,300 entries that are evaluated by a panel of international judges. Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese scored an impressive 99.85 out of 100. An interesting tidbit: their creamery in Tillamook attracts more than one million visitors a year. Tillamook extra sharp cheddar sharp would work well in this recipe too. I imagine that you could use any kind of aged cheese. Thank you Lorraine for this awesome recipe!
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