Hey, y’all! Happy Wednesday (Hump Day!), and happy holidays!! Today I’m linking up with Sarah for her Holiday Party Recipe Exchange! 

And we are going to make… Firecrackers!!

This is a newer recipe for me– this is the first year I’ve made them, but they have become a fast favorite and everyone LOVES them! I’ve been making them by the bucketfuls to take everywhere– with me to work, with Steven to work, to family gatherings, etc. So, it’s a good thing they are super easy because I’ve made so many lately!

About once a month or so, our spouse alliance group (basically like a medical student/ resident/ fellow wives’ support group) has a bake sale to raise money for our local children’s hospital. Anything goes– sweet or savory, individual goodies or whole items, homemade or store bought. But, one of the biggest sellers are small bags of Firecrackers. And people will pay way more than you think they would for a small bag of Firecrackers– because they are that good! I worked the bake sale in November and bought my own bag (3 bags) to check out the hype and now we are hooked. I quickly obtained the recipe and now we are deep in the addiction! And trust me when I call this an addiction. Literally we will walk through the kitchen a million times to get a few at at time because for some reason, it’s just impossible to stop eating them!

What You’ll Need:

(One Batch)

• One regular box of Saltine crackers (four whole sleeves)
• 1 packet of dry Ranch dressing mix
• • Tip: I buy the box of four packets because we go through them that fast!
• 1 tsp of garlic salt
• 2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp of McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning
• 1 cup of vegetable oil
• • I’ve only used vegetable oil, so I can’t speak to how other oils would do, but if you are interested in trying a different type, go for it!

Here’s my special take on these– the original recipe I was given had you dump all the Saltines in a giant Ziploc and slowly add the mix and shake as you go. That sounds SUPER MESSY. And I’m just not about that. So, here’s what I do….

I line all my Saltines up in a plastic container (super OCD style). Wisk together all the seasonings and oil, and then pour over the top. I was a little worried I would be short on seasonings/ liquid, but there is definitely enough. Just pour back and forth across your rows of crackers and try to get it as evenly coated as possible. Put the lid on, and turn the box upside down and shake around a little. You can flip back and forth and shake as much as you like!

Once I’m done shaking, I open the box, and use a basting brush to grab everything on the lid and wipe back down on the crackers, but you don’t have to! (I just don’t love the lid being messy)  Amazingly, crackers don’t typically break, and they get a pretty even coating of seasonings with this method. And I don’t lose my mind with the messiness.

And that’s IT! No baking, no drying, no laying anything out, no stirring, just enjoying from that point forward! You could also use a disposable foil container with a lid if you are particular about your plastic containers, or are gifting these to people for the holidays (which I highly recommend!). Hubby and I had a conversation about whether the plastic container (just like the one pictured) I sent with him to the hospital was disposable– I said technically no, but that it was around two for $3 so it wouldn’t be the end of the world to not get it back home. And it never came home. So, I’ve been buying new plastic containers for each batch just in case. You can’t have too many plastic containers, right? 😉

This can be on the zippier side because of the red pepper flakes, so I’d have a drink handy when you first try them, but once you try them, you won’t be able to stop!

Merry Christmas and happy Firecracking!

If you are interested in other holiday recipes, last year I shared Grinch Cookies and Sausage Puffs, so check those out!