Recipes with Crackers: Casseroles, Coatings and More

Think of this as a different kind of cracker moment: not making crackers from scratch, and not another cheese-board pairing. The crackers from your pantry can easily become part of the dish itself.

Most recipes with crackers start from the same idea: using a box of crackers creatively can open up your weeknight dinner options considerably.

When they're crushed coarsely, crackers can become a topping that holds its crunch under a hot casserole; when crushed finely, they coat a chicken cutlet; and stirred into a mixture, they hold a crab cake together. Left whole, they turn into a snack spread with about one extra step.

None of it takes a special trip to the store, which is the major appeal. It's the box you already bought, used five different ways.

How to Cook with Crackers

Recipes with crackers mean the cracker goes into the dish as an ingredient, rather than being served alongside it.

The kind of box that works here is the crisp, crushable sort. Back to Nature Classic Round Crackers have the buttery, light texture that crushes into an even crumb, and the Crispy Wheat Crackers bring a snappy, crisp texture that works well for coarse toppings and quick snack boards. Both crush cleanly rather than collapsing into powder, which is exactly what you want when the crumb size is a key part of the recipe.

Three things change depending on how far you crush them:

• Coarse crumbs stay crunchy on top of something.
• Fine crumbs coat and cling to a surface.
• Whole crackers stay whole (duh!) and become the base for toppings.

Because the crackers are already salted, it can impact how you season the completed dish as well.

A Casserole Topping That Stays Crunchy

The topping stays crunchy when the crumbs are coarse, buttered, and go on near the end of the bake rather than at the start.

• Crush them to about pea-size, which means irregular pieces with some texture still in them rather than an even sand. A sealable bag and a rolling pin do it in about twenty seconds, and it gives you more control than a food processor, which tends to go too far too fast.
• Toss the crumbs with melted butter until they're well-coated and hold together slightly when you squeeze a handful. That butter coating browns and keeps steam from the filling from turning the crumbs soft.
• Add them near the end of baking rather than the beginning, because a topping that sits over a bubbling filling for forty minutes will absorb it, while the same topping added for the last stretch comes out crisp and golden.

If the casserole contains meat or poultry, it needs to reach 165°F in the middle, and that temperature is what tells you it's done, not how brown the top looks. Check the filling with a thermometer, then judge the topping by eye.

This is a perfect hearty meal for weeknights or potlucks, especially in cold weather. If something lighter and snackier is what you're after generally, the Crispy Wheat pairing guide offers some low-prep lighter ideas for meals and snacks.

Crackers as Breading for Chicken or Fish

Crushed crackers swap in for breadcrumbs at roughly the same volume, so any recipe calling for a breadcrumb coating will usually work with a cracker coating, too, without any adjustments.

• The sequence is dry, dredge, dip, coat, rest. Pat the chicken or fish properly dry first, because a wet surface is the main reason coatings slide off. Dredge it in flour, dip it in beaten egg, then press it into the crushed crackers so the crumbs actually adhere rather than sit loosely.
• Then let it rest on a rack for a few minutes before it hits the heat, because that short pause lets the coating set and hold together much better in the pan.
• Go light on any added salt, since the crackers are already lightly seasoned. This is where a cracker coating most often goes wrong, because the recipe's salt quantity assumes plain breadcrumbs.

Crush finer here than you would for a topping, because coarse crumbs leave gaps where the coating can pull away, while finer ones cling to the surface and brown evenly.

The crust browns quickly, which is why a food thermometer comes in handy: chicken and all poultry need 165°F, and fish 145°F. A cracker crust reaches a convincing golden brown well before the inside is ready, so you can't rely on color alone to tell you whether your meal is fully cooked!

Crackers as Mix-Ins, Crusts and Binders

Rather than using crackers as a topping or coating, some recipes also call for crushed crackers to be mixed in with other ingredients or used as a bottom crust.

In crab cakes, the cracker crumbs go into the crab mixture itself as the binder, absorbing moisture and holding everything together so the cake keeps its shape when it hits the pan. Meatballs and meatloaf work on exactly the same principle, and the amount you need is small enough that nobody tastes cracker in the finished dish.

Pressed into a pan with melted butter, crushed crackers form a crust that firms up as it bakes. The savory version is made with a cheese or vegetable filling (like quiche!) and the sweet version is similar to the graham cracker crust everybody already knows, with a salty twist (try it with cheesecake - trust us!)

Crackers can also be mixed into cheese spreads, soups or dips as a thickener. The common theme here is using crackers as part of the dish's structure, to add texture, hold onto moisture and make your recipe super-tasty.

Snack Mixes and Party Bites

Left whole, it's super easy to turn crackers into the star of the show rather than an afterthought. By adding special toppings, tossing them in seasoning or using them as a garnish, you can turn your favorite Back to Nature crackers from the pantry into something elevated, whether it's an everyday meal or a special occasion.

• Seasoned mix. Toss whole crackers with a little oil and a dry seasoning, warm them briefly in the oven, and let them cool. The oil helps the seasoning stick to the crackers and keeps them nice and crispy!
• Stacked bites. Use two crackers to sandwich a soft topping or spread, like peanut butter, hummus or spreadable cheese. These little stacked sandwich bites will hold up on a tray for a couple of hours, which is perfect for game days or a playdate spread that might need to sit out on the counter for a while.
• Crumbled over. Crushed crackers are the perfect garnish when you scatter them over a dip or a soup at the table. You could even keep a little dish of crumbled crackers on the table so you (or guests) can add them at their own pace - they're best when they're still crispy!

None of these need a recipe card or a ton of prep, which is kind of the point. But, if you'd like a little more direction, the snack board ideas guide walks through building out a whole spread, and most of what it covers starts from the same box.

Each of these is still a box of crackers, used in a different way.

Where to Buy Back to Nature

Running low? Browse the Back to Nature crackers collection and pick out your next fave. You'll find them at Target, Whole Foods, Kroger, Publix, Sprouts and more - our store locator will help you find a retailer near you.