Fried Saltines With Cheddar and Onion Recipe (2024)

In her 1998 book, Comfortable Entertaining, Nathalie Dupree has a recipe for P.D.C.'s Divine Saltines that calls for dipping the crackers lightly in melted butter and baking them at 300 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes, until crisp and golden. They are also good with herbs of choice, curry, or parmesan cheese. These keep well in an airtight container at room temperature up to a week in advance and can also be frozen and recrisped. Another happy variation on a simple treat!

From now on, I will do whatever this chef says with complete obedience., regardless of the recipe. She really is amazing. Who knew that this kind of alchemy exists between onions, sharp cheddar cheese, mustard, and fried saltines in the first place? When I got out the crackers and other ingredients for guests, my partner (who hates onions), looked at me like I was off my rocker.....but he tried it and was a convert. Followed recipe using the peanut oil I had on hand. A Keeper!

Can you use Ritz crackers?

Oh my. My mother used to fry saltine crackers and I will sneak it in from time to time as a little comfort food. BUT. They were/are fried in bacon grease. That may make some aghast but... I can just taste them. Obviously the bacon grease adds a little more flavor than canola oil.Had to smile when I saw this pop up.

Thank you, Rachel Penn, for passing along the baked alternative for those of us who are fry-freaked-adversive!

There was no place to comment on the article that brought me to this recipe, so I'm going to just write down here how beautiful I thought it was, and how much I loved reading it. Thank you so much, Gabrielle, for sharing your memories as well as your recipes.

So, I did some fried saltines and some butter baked saltines (melted butter, dipped saltine, placed on foil lined baking sheet for 10min in 350degree oven). All were tasty, but have to say that the butter baked were a bit better. Fortunately, all were wonderful with the cheddar, onion, and mustard. Will definitely do again!!

Having enjoyed this snack many times and many years ago, together with college friends at McSorley's, I would never have thought this simple treat could be improved upon, but this idea sounds promising and worth a try at home!

Learned this from an Navy cook in 1992. Place Saltines on the back of a sheet pan and spray with water until quite soggy. Tilt the pan slightly to drain. When Saltines are almost dry again, brush with melted butter and bake 350 degrees until light brown. Taste like puffed pastry. The water removes the glaze and salt from the Saltines so they can adsorb more butter.

weed cooks have been making these for years. “Firecrackers” can be made by adding 1/2 gram RSO cannabis extract (decarboxylated) to the butter, add 1 Tbsp Tabasco or 1/2 tsp. cayenne and follow the recipe as directed. A much mellower gathering of the relatives will commence.

The onion should be sliced as half moons but then separated into crescent moons, or the single layers of the onion. The photo is correct.

My mom did this with saltines, way before 1998, and had them with her nightly martinis. I wonder where she got the idea?

Fantastic, thanks! I love baking but frying? Not so much… and plus, Butter!

My West Indian mother fried these in margarine, I do butter. Heaven.

Anyone have a favorite mustard that would work well here?

Gabrielle's "Prune" Cookbook is filled with outstanding recipes. She give many of her restaurant methods and tricks that adapt to the home kitchen. She also shows numerous smart ways to use EVERYTHING and waste NOTHING

These crackers look good enough to make me want to completely abandon my healthy eating goals. Maybe if I only make 6, how bad can that be?? I am not saying they are terrible health-wise, and if we are eating snack food I think we should enjoy it guilt-free, everything in moderation...It is that I limit my carbs so 6 of these would make a mighty fine treat!

A recently vegetarian friend said it tasted like a cheeseburger -- onions, mustard, something fried and cheese. She loved it.

Does anyone have a favorite brand of saltine crackers?

I fried the saltines in wagyu beef tallow. Holy Toledo!

Made these this evening with a a bit of melted ghee brushed on both sides then baked in convection oven for 9 min at 300 on a parchment lined pan. Yum! And they filled the kitchen with a wonderful toasty aroma. Didn’t have cheddar so I smeared them with some plant based cream cheese that was on hand. Looking forward to the full Monty sometime soon

These were great. I went with dipping the crackers and baking them. Wow!

Was making these as a gift, so paired with quick pickled shallots instead of onions. Worked well!

Delicious.

Mustard? Only Colmans from UK which has a little bite. Make it with a little Guinness mixed in (or McSorleys ale)

Learned this from an Navy cook in 1992. Place Saltines on the back of a sheet pan and spray with water until quite soggy. Tilt the pan slightly to drain. When Saltines are almost dry again, brush with melted butter and bake 350 degrees until light brown. Taste like puffed pastry. The water removes the glaze and salt from the Saltines so they can adsorb more butter.

I loved seeing this, as I am also a big fan of McSorley’s…fond memories of visits in my 20’s….and I discovered a recipe of Paula Dean’s that I had just recently resurrected also, with saltines brushed generously with butter, sprinkled with sesame, caraway, and celery seeds, and baked. So great with everything, and especially good with marinated tomatoes on the side. I am going to use this serving idea with the buttered crackers for a Christmas app this year…Thanks for the memories and the idea!

Wonderful comments. I’m eager to try. My two favorite mustards right now are 1) Amana German style and 2) True Blonde honey mustard from Durango Artisan Foods (CO). I will be sure to report back!

Fried Saltines are a Southern tradition at home and in bars. Very old school. They can be fried in bacon grease, duck fat, peanut oil, etc. As to using only bacon grease, great for the flavor but getting it that hot tends to lead to smoke. A tip from several old Southern cooks, including the legendary Miss Edna Lewis, that I use would be to fry them in peanut oil very hot but add a generous spoonful or two of bacon grease or duck fat for flavor without the smoke. Also, great for frying chicken.

I’ve always brushed one side with melted butter, baked then flipped and baked some more. Be fancy and put a parchment sheet on baking pan first. Delicious with tomato soup. I prefer no fancy herbs just a good snappy buttery cracker. Frying is better in a restaurant with ventilation than my little kitchen.