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For a quick and easy nosh suited to party time or anytime, reach for a box of cheese crackers. The toasty flavor of Cheez-Its is iconic and unbeatable, making plenty of room for experimenting with different toppings and additions that play off of the established flavor profile. If you’re looking for new ways to make your Cheez-Its a little more toasty and delicious, try a simple Reddit hack that draws inspiration from Alabama fire crackers, a crowd-pleasing Southern snack that couldn’t be easier to make. Season your crackers with some chili-infused olive oil, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes and spread them on a baking sheet before popping them into the oven for about 20 minutes at around 250 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s a surefire way to add the most toasty texture and irresistible flavor to your crackers.
Much like giving saltine crackers a crave-worthy makeover by frying them in canola oil, a little creativity goes a long way to elevate a simple batch of store-bought crackers to new heights. Baking will definitely provide more of a toasty flavor and feel than frying, but you can enhance your Cheez-It crackers however you see fit. It’s also super easy to infuse olive oil, meaning that you can test out different flavor combinations of oils and seasonings to see what tastes best to you.
Tips for adding even more flavor to your Cheez-Its
The basics of this upgrade are simply cheese crackers, oil, and seasonings. With so many Cheez-It flavors to choose from, you can let this inform whatever additional tastes you want to include. For example, if you want to really turn up the heat, start with a batch of Cheeze-It Hot & Spicy flavored crackers and then add a mixture of your favorite hot pepper-infused oil, hot paprika, and crushed chili flakes before baking. For something on the cooler side, a packet of ranch seasoning or even a handful of your favorite dried herbs will really accentuate the cheese flavors.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with infusing your own olive oil using garlic, lemon, herbs, chili, or anything your tastebuds desire. It will help yield an even more elevated and flavorful Cheez-It when baked. Also consider how varying your seasonings will complement or contrast the bold cheesiness of the crackers. For an amazing umami taste, try mixing a dash of anchovy oil from a tin of fish into your olive oil and topping the crackers off with furikake flakes before baking. There’s no limit to the possibilities for fun, new taste sensations.
