Homemade Parmesan Crackers

Given that I am a big-time snacker, I love all of the classic snacks- Cheez-Its, Wheat Thins, Gold Fish, Ritz Crackers. The list goes on and on. I have always loved crackers of all kinds. Naturally I was excited to try my hand at making homemade crackers. After a little research, I settled on this recipe for Parmesan Crackers to make and I could not have been happier with the results. First of all, these crackers are incredibly easy to make. From start of finish, they only took about 1/2 hour to come together. 

I loved the parmesan flavor of these crackers. However, I think that you could easily substitute other ingredients in order to meet your needs. When I make them again, I think I will experiment with other spices and herbs to give them even more flavor. I also love crackers with freshly ground pepper and think that would be a great addition to these crackers. Oh how I love experimenting in the kitchen!

Homemade Parmesan Crackers

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

Coarse salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Combine the flour, salt, cheese and butter in a food processor. Pulse until combined. Add the heavy cream. Let the food processor run until a dough forms.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to be about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out individual crackers using a pastry wheel (my crackers were approximately 1 1/2 inch squares). Place crackers on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned in color. Allow them to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Ritz Cracker Crusted Chicken Fingers

I love the week leading up to the Super Bowl because blogs are filled with recipes for appetizers and other party foods. Everywhere I look there are soft pretzel bites, chips with cheesy dips and desserts shaped like footballs. This is a great sight for someone like me, who is a big time snacker. I don't need there to be a main course served at my Super Bowl party. I am all about snacking on different appetizers and desserts throughout the night. And ever since the Patriots were eliminated from the playoffs two weeks ago, I find that I am more excited about the food than I am about the game itself. 

In order to get ready for the Super Bowl, I decided to make chicken fingers, aka my boyfriend's favorite meal in the entire world. I think that he could live on chicken fingers if I let him. For this recipe, I made Ritz Cracker Crusted Chicken Fingers. Only three ingredients and 25 minutes in the oven! Super easy and delicious. From what I have learned, there are two secrets that result in crispy chicken fingers from the oven. First, make sure to line your baking sheet with an oven-safe rack. If you do not have an cooking rack, you can always just bake the chicken on a cookie sheet. But the chicken fingers will be a lot crispier if you use the rack. Second, make sure to use a non-stick cooking spray before placing the chicken onto the rack.  Using these two secrets, you can serve crispy chicken fingers just like you get at your favorite restaurant. 

Ritz Cracker Crusted Chicken Fingers

from My Life as a Mrs.

1 pound chicken tenderloins

1 sleeve ritz crackers, crushed

1/2 bottle ranch dressing

salt and pepper to season

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take an oven-safe cooking rack and place inside of a cookie sheet. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. 

Pour ranch dressing on to a plate. Combine  ritz cracker crumbs in a bowl.

Season chicken tenderloins with salt and pepper. One at a time, place seasoned tenderloins in the plate of ranch dressing and cover completely. Then transfer to the bowl of ritz cracker crumbs. Make sure that each tenderloin is completely covered with in the ritz cracker coating. Place each tenderloin on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for about 25 minutes. Using a meat thermometer, make sure that the chicken has reached an internal temperature of at least 170 degrees. 

Enjoy :)