Cajun Firecrackers

Happy New Year!  I certainly hope everyone had an enjoyable and safe New Year's celebration.  Now that you've finished cleaning up the mess left behind from last night's festivities, why not whip up a batch of Cajun Firecrackers?  These tasty crackers are perfect for satisfying your cravings, and they're equally tasty whether you enjoy them alone or alongside a cheese ball (recipe coming soon!).  Enjoy!  :)

Cajun Firecrackers
Recipe adapted from Real Cajun Recipes 

1 box (16 oz.) saltine crackers
1 1/3 cups canola oil
2 pkgs. Ranch dressing powder
1 Tbl. cayenne pepper (or less, to taste.  We like it spicy!)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Place saltine crackers into a gallon-size ziptop bag.  (The easiest way to do this is to clip the top off of each sleeve of crackers and place all four sleeves vertically into the gallon baggie.  Then just pull the sleeves out and you have perfect rows of crackers in seconds!)  Measure out canola oil in a 2-cup measuring cup.  Add ranch dressing, cayenne, and garlic powder.  Mix well with a whisk or fork.  Pour evenly over the saltines.  Seal up the bag and rotate/massage the bag to get the crackers evenly coated.  Allow the crackers to sit in the marinade for at least 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes to keep crackers evenly seasoned. 


Recipe notes:

• There is no typo.  YES, that's a lot of oil.  NO, you don't need to bake these.  The crackers will absorb the oil and WILL NOT end up soggy. 
• Aren't these crackers totally oily and greasy?  Not any more than your average potato chips.
• You can use "unsalted" saltines or oyster crackers in place of regular saltines, but other types of crackers (RITZ, Club®) don't work as well. 
• If you have access to a warehouse club (Sam's, Costco, etc.), you can find large canisters of Hidden Valley® Ranch Dressing Powder for about $5.  The canister we have is equal to 16 packets.  Compare that to the $2 you might spend on two packets at the grocery store and the savings really add up!
• The original recipe calls for red pepper flakes instead of cayenne, and you can certainly use that if you prefer.  I've found that the pepper flakes don't stick as well to the crackers as the cayenne.  Also...your braces-wearing friends and family members will thank you to make the switch.