Spicy Saltines

[Sher]

I almost broke my grocery budget buying saltines between Thanksgiving and Christmas (thank goodness they were buy 1 get 1 free for a couple of weeks). My extended family loved these and kept asking for more. If you don't like lots of heat, reduce the red pepper flakes and ground red pepper (I have to do so to make a separate batch for my Dad). Love that there's no baking required.


SPICY SALTINES

o 1 box Saltine crackers
o 1 9x9 or 10x10 container around 3 inches high with a tight seal
o 1 1/3 cup vegetable oil
o 1 envelope Ranch dressing
o 2 tsp. crushed red pepper
o 2 tsp. garlic powder
o 2 tsp. ground red pepper
o 1 tsp. chili powder

Stack the crackers vertically in the container. Don’t pack them too tightly--leave a little room so the oil and seasoning can get between them.

Mix the oil and spices well, making sure the seasonings are evenly distributed with no clumps.

Pour the mixture evenly over the crackers.

Put the lid on the container and let it sit for one hour, turning over every fifteen minutes.

For best results, let the crackers sit for a couple more hours. Remove from container and store in a sealable plastic bag or plastic container. Crackers can be refrigerated or frozen to extend shelf life.

 

[redsquirrel]

Oh, those sound really good, Sher. I wonder how well that would work with the mini saltines? I have 1 sleeve of saltines, and a box of the mini ones. I have all other ingredients so I think I'll try it with the little ones.

 

[Sher]

I have adjusted the recipe for my Dad - he likes the oyster crackers but less pepper and chili powder (in other words he really just wants ranch crackers ). The smaller ones don't soak up the oil the way regular saltines do, so I reduce the amount of oil (by a third) and use 1 1/2 bags of oyster crackers. Does this help?

 

[redsquirrel]

Thank you, muchly. The mini crackers that I have are the Mini Premium Saltines that are for soup.

 

[Sher]

Ah--those should absorb the oil better than oyster crackers, but you might want to reduce the oil to 1 cup since these are slightly less weight than a regular box of crackers.

 

[redsquirrel]

Will do. Thank you.