Ranch Fried Chicken

If you like your salad (or pizza, chicken wings, French fries…) with a side (or five) of ranch dressing, then this is the fried chicken recipe for you. To help the crushed saltine crackers stick, we first dunk the chicken in a mix of egg and ranch dressing. Then to layer on even more herbaceous energy, we add both paprika and dry ranch dressing mix to season the cracker crust. And to really drive home the ranch vibes, we suggest serving this juicy pan-fried chicken with a side of more ranch dressing, naturally.

Cinnamon-Walnut Cracker Bars

If you dig pecan pie, but not all the time, effort, and mess it takes to whip one up from scratch, we highly recommend that you try these no-bake bar cookies. Although they ask for walnuts rather than pecans, the nut-spiked, warmly-spiced caramel base reminds of that luscious pie filling. Things get even better when you layer on crackers (saltines, Club, or Ritz would all do), and crown the bars with melted bittersweet chocolate. No fussy pastry or baking time required!

Make-Ahead Cheese Fondue Casserole

As much as we adore casserole recipes—especially make-ahead casseroles like this one—we find that most are lacking one very important feature: crunch. This saltine cracker recipe solves that in quick fashion. The day before you plan to enjoy this easy, cheesy casserole, stir together the pasta and silky, fondue-like cheese sauce. Transfer to a baking dish, cover, and chill overnight. Then about 45 minutes before dinner, cap things off with a few generous handfuls of parsley-scented crushed saltines, then bake until bubbly.

Classic Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

Inspired by veal-based wiener schnitzel, the pork tenderloin sandwich is said to have been created in Indiana in the early 1900s. Since pork was even more accessible, the breaded delight featured that protein instead. Then to make it portable, creator Nicholas Freienstein tucked that inside a sandwich bun. The result has grown to become a staple at state fairs across the Midwest, as well as at home (one fan raves, “this recipe is super easy and reminds me of the way my mom and my grandma used to make them!”), and at restaurants. Two sleeves of crushed and seasoned saltine crackers gives these pork loin sandwiches their signature crunch.

Cracker Candy

Sometimes referred to as “Christmas crack,” this no-bake bark is far too tasty to reserve for the holiday season alone. So we kept the signature sweet, salty, and nutty flavor, renamed the treat, and dished up a few different variations so you can make this easy homemade candy recipe your own. Our original formula calls for graham crackers, coconut flakes, toasted nuts, chocolate chips, and a simple brown sugar-based caramel. We didn’t stop there, though, and perfected variations featuring pretzels, potato chips, peppermint, and more. Our favorite of all happens to be the Dark Chocolate Cracker Candy: swap saltines for the graham crackers, omit the coconut, then finish with melted dark chocolate chips, dried apricots, almond toffee bits, and toasted pepitas.

Maryland Fried Chicken

A flour- or bread crumb-based batter is far more common to add the crunch factor to fried chicken recipes. But we’ve grown fond of showcasing crushed saltine crackers. Their sturdy texture not only adheres well to the egg-dunked chicken, but also hangs tight during frying and holds up to a shower of rich cream gravy.

Test Kitchen Tip: We season the crushed saltines with paprika, dried thyme, and pepper. Feel free to mix up the dried herbs and spices as desired to customize your breading flavor.

Million Dollar Chicken Casserole

Worthy of every penny of praise, this is one of our best million dollar recipes (which are aptly-named due to the fact that they taste like a million bucks). The cozy, creamy filling is a cinch to pull together, as it features mostly refrigerator and pantry staples (cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, canned cream of chicken soup) as well as a semi-homemade meal MVP: rotisserie chicken. Instead of bread crumbs, we suggest topping things off with buttery crushed crackers, either Ritz or saltines.

California-Style Crab Cakes

We’re fond of seafood cakes that are heavy on the protein and light on the binder. So rather than relying on copious amounts of bread crumbs or even torn cornbread or bread pieces, we turn to a small amount of mayo and mustard, milk, an egg white, and crushed saltine crackers to bring these savory crab cakes together. Coat the bottoms of muffin cups with more crushed saltines for an extra layer of crunchiness without stealing the spotlight from the seafood.

Lightened-Up Traditional Corn Casserole

Invest just 15 minutes of hands-on time, and you’ll be treated to 12 servings of potluck-perfect, southern-style corn casserole. While you might guess that the saltine cracker recipe aspect appears on top of this veggie side dish, it’s actually woven right in. A cup of crushed saltines meet milk, sugar, butter, seasonings, and the signature ingredient—fresh or frozen corn—and help bring the custardy casserole together.