The Crowd-Pleasing Southern Snack Crackers That Couldn't Be Easier To Make

When a snack attack hits, the call of hunger can be demanding, and recipes that require little fuss rise to the occasion. Such is the case with a simple recipe that is often served in the American South: Seasoned and baked saltines, aka Alabama fire crackers. While a package of the salty crackers can be ripped open and gulped down along with slices of cheese, quick dips into a dish of Ranch dressing, or a glass of milk, spiced fire crackers are worth the extra effort to prepare. 

Simply dump out the plain crackers into a large bowl and coat in your choice of melted butter or cooking oil. Next, it is up to you to spice and season the saltines to your choosing. It's usual to add some kind of red pepper flakes, sriracha powder, or smoked paprika for a spikier touch, as well as garlic powder and ranch seasoning. Or bring your DIY bagel seasoning into the mix to create more of a savory, herby palate. As the seasoned crackers bake in the oven, they crisp and brown so, aside from just snacking on them, you can also use them to top salads and soups, or crumble some over the surface of your next buffalo chicken lasagna dinner. 

For those with enough prudence to plan ahead and anticipate munchies before they strike, allowing enough time to mix your chosen oils, seasonings, and crackers in a plastic bag to marinate before piling them onto a baking sheet to cook will yield extra flavorful results. You can let the combination of ingredients mingle for several hours (or even overnight) before you set them into the oven to bake.

Fire crackers only need about 15 minutes in a warm oven set at 250 degrees Fahrenheit to reach crispy, golden perfection. You may want to make several different flavors of seasoned crackers in separate bags to cook and crisp at once. You may need to buy your crackers online in bulk at this stage; start with a family pack of Nabisco Premium Saltines. Or experiment with pairing different kinds of crackers and snacks, like bagel chips or gluten-free garlic and herb crackers to build layers of snack-worthy flavors with infused oils and spice blends. With Old Bay seasoning and homemade sourdough discard crackers in your list of possible permutations, options are endless when it comes to combining baked snacks with the seasonings of your choice. You can't really go wrong here, just consider yourself warned. Once you start chomping down on these baked seasoned crackers, it will take the will of a restrained snacker to push a not-yet-empty bowl off to the side.