Make This Bacon-Lovers Snack With Your Next Sleeve Of Crackers

Truly easy and tasty appetizers are hard to come by. You can try making your own mozzarella sticks from scratch or try to painfully roll mini weenies into crescent dough until your joints lock up. These snacks are tasty, but they tend to require some extra time that you may not have when you're scrambling to get appetizers on the table. If you're looking for a simple-as-can-be snack that will appease any eater, you'll want to check out candied bacon crackers. 

Essentially, all you'll need to do to make these snacks is cut up your raw bacon strips into smaller pieces, coat them in brown sugar to candy them, layer them atop crackers, then bake them in the oven until the strips are crispy. It's important to place the crackers on a wire rack set atop your lined baking pan, as it will allow for the air to flow underneath the crackers as they're baking and prevent them from crisping up too quickly. You can also add whatever seasonings to this duo that you'd like to the bacon before you slide the crackers into the oven; just make sure they complement the sweet, candied flavor of the bacon. Once the crackers are cool, you can toss them onto a plate and serve them out to your awaiting party guests. 

The best part about this recipe, besides the fact that it's so easy to whip up, is the fact that it sets you up for so many different variations and spin-offs. For one, you may want to swap out Saltine crackers for a buttery Ritz or a hearty multigrain variety. Or you can experiment with different seasonings on your bacon. You can take a page out of Dunkin's playbook and try a variation on its Snackin' Bacon by adding a sprinkle of cracked black pepper to the meat before you toss the appetizers into the oven. For something a little sweeter, you may opt for a sprinkle of cinnamon instead. 

To give your bites a more personal touch, you may also want to consider playing with different dipping sauces. A creamy dip like garlicky aioli or even buttermilk ranch dressing would be a great pairing for a football watch party. Or if you want to get a little spicy, consider serving the bites with a ramekin of hot honey for dipping.