Ritz crackers are one of my absolute favorite snacks to eat. If you’ve had them, you know exactly what I’m talking about. They’re buttery, but not too buttery and have just the right amount of salt and flakiness, making them perfect for any day, any time.
They’re a good snack all on their own, definitely a dorm room staple, and even though they’re just plain crackers, I’ve never gotten bored of them–ever. But, if you’re looking to try something new, or you’re feeling like “there’s nothing to eat!”, here are a few ways you can jazz them up a little the next time you have some.
Okay, first, let’s get the obvious one out of the way.
1. Eat them with cheese
This is probably the most common one on this list, but still good nonetheless! Any kind of cheese will do: cheddar, swiss, american–whatever you’re feeling in the moment.
2. Add a spread on top
With this one, you can go the sweet and salty route, adding a jelly or jam to balance the saltiness of the crackers (grape jelly, strawberry jam, blueberry jam, apple butter) or you could make it more savoury, adding your favorite nut butter on top (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter).
3. Eat them with leftovers
My family does this all the time, and it may sound weird, but I promise it’s actually really good. Whenever we have leftover turkey bacon from breakfast, my sister and I like to take pieces of it and stack them on Ritz crackers. I don’t really understand why it works, all I know is it’s one of the best snacks I’ve ever had.
4. Add all the “salads”
Tuna salad, egg salad, chicken salad. All of these pair well with Ritz crackers. It’s almost like the cracker acts as a crunchier, saltier alternative to a piece of bread, as you would normally eat these on a sandwich.
5. Stack ‘em up
I’ve already mentioned stacking cheese on top, but you can get really creative with your stacking. You can do it Lunchables style, adding cheese and lunch meat, pizza style with pasta sauce pepperoni (and cheese, if you want), or you could get fancy with it and try some of these recipes: smoked salmon with cucumber and cream cheese or jalapeno popper style.
6. Turn them into a dessert
Just add nutella, Hershey’s chocolate spread, or cream cheese plus your favorite pie filling (to make mini cheese cake crackers) to turn your plain Ritz into a sweet treat perfect for dessert.
7. Try a different flavor
If all else fails, and you’re still wanting to try something new, there’s already an array of Ritz cracker flavors out there other than the original (honey wheat, garlic butter, everything seasoning, roasted vegetable). The company’s website also features a full collection of their own suggested recipes and interesting ingredients to pair with their crackers. Some are holiday specific, others are for certain special occasions, but all of them are creative and look like they’re worth giving a try.
With so many things to try, so many possibilities, there’s no way this snack could ever get boring.