Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Happy Tuesday Y'all. How bout some crackers???

Hi ya'll!  I'm going to attempt to put this blog up with pictures of how I have learned to make cheese crackers.  Thanks to my friends at a group I'm in on FB called I Love Low Carb, I've found a replacement for some yummy "chips" to dip with salsa, have with tuna salads, etc, use as croutons, have with lunch meats. etc etc etc. Still finding ways to use them.

They are SO incredibly easy to make, but you need to practice.  All instructions depend on the cheese you buy and the power of your microwave.  But once you get the hang of it, I bet you get as addicted to these as I am!!

Here is my first picture.... (wish me luck!)


Woot Woot I did it!   Start your crackers by cutting a piece of parchment paper the same size as a microwavable plate.  I have Corelle ware and it works perfectly, but after a few rounds it gets hot, so use a hot pad.

I take a stack of 7 slices of cheese, and cut them into quarters. This will make 4 plates worth, which easily fills a sandwich sized baggie.   You can cut them into 16th's for "goldfish" sized bites but you will have to adjust the times since they are smaller.  You can also put more on a plate with the smaller size.  I prefer the "cracker" size.

As you can see, I find that 7 pieces fits perfectly on my plate.  Depending on how you space them, they still might kinda run together, but once they cool a bit, you can break them apart. (or consider them "rejects" and eat them immediately!!)

The can of stuff with the green top is some popcorn seasoning that can be used to flavor them.  I used Cheddar/Jalapeno in this, but they also have Ranch, and a few other flavors.  You can find it in the Popcorn section at Kroger.  Not sure if Walmart carries it cause I haven't looked.  You can sprinkle a small amount on each cracker, or put some in a bowl and toss the slices in it before you put it on the plate.  But honestly, they are just as good plain.

Next thing, Put them in your microwave on high power for one minute to start.  Now remember, this is what works in MY microwave, and it's a fairly new 1000 watt microwave.  Microwaves lose some power with age, from what I'm told, so play with yours...  Here is a picture of the crackers after one minute....

As you can see, they are bubbly, but still very yellow.  At this point you may think you screwed them up, but don't give up!!!!  You are testing your microwave and timing.... so I added 15 seconds and it looked like this:


As you can see, they are puffing up a little but not quite browned.... so add another 15 seconds and they may look like this:


AAAAHHHHHHH Perfection!!! See how they are browned?  that's what you are looking for.

Once you get the timing down, plant that little number in your little brain and use that measurement.  If you don't see this yummolicious brownness, add 15 seconds at a time till you get it down.  If your first batch comes out a little "too" brown for your taste, back it off a bit.  And you might think when you turn them over, that you over did them cause they get REALLY browned inside.  But before you make up your mind, try it.  Even if they may look over done, they still taste REALLY good. (think I could say REALLY a few more times????)

The times and measurements also depends on the cheese you get, how thick it is, the fat content, etc. (make sure you buy DELUXE AMERICAN CHEESE  not the cheese that comes pre-wrapped.   I've been told that you can use parmesan cheese, shredded, and make little mounds with it, but I haven't tried it.  This works for me and I'm sticking to it!!!

Kraft makes Deluxe SWISS cheese which I've used, but honestly can't tell much of a difference in taste.

And to end this rambling,  I keep 2 plates prepared with the parchment paper, and rotate them and I can make a huge batch of crackers in under 15 minutes. I also store my plates with the parchment on it in the microwave and make many batches before I have to replace the parchment paper. (I'm CHEAP) I try not to make too many at a time cause they are very addictive!  And instead of all the potatoes, processed crap, flour, bad oils, etc in the usual Chips and Crackers, you are only eating a piece of cheese!  How cool is that?

Now also, I've known people who nuke a whole piece of cheese at a time and use them as a bun for burgers, but I have not tried it yet.  Believe me, I will!  Next time a juicy burger on a bun calls my name...

Some day I want to play with this and see if I cant make little taco bowls with a whole piece over a small cup or something.

So there you go buddies.  Crackers!!!  I really hope you give this a try.  It has become my newest obsession.  And I tell ya what, BoBo knows when I'm making them and he tries to jump up on the counter to grab them.  Thank goodness he's not 2 inches taller or I'd have to sit on him while I make them!

And again, Please leave your feedback and comments.  I wanna hear from you and what you would like me to blog about.  I am working on a blog for tomorrow on how I've learned to make home made greek yogurt in the crock pot!  Stay tuned!


10 comments:

crazywoman said...

Dinah, That is why you crackers only take about 1 minute, and mine take abt. 4! I nuke mine all at the same time. I have a large micro, and I put all 7 slices (cut in half diagonally - 2 triangles ea)on a silicone mat, and cook them all at once. (We were talking about this on another site the other day.)
I think I need to go make a batch now. :>)
crazywoman/Billie

Dinah said...

yeah Billie, it's all about the size you cook, and the power of your microwave. I think that's the point I was trying to get across. I love these things! Thanks for reading!

Cortney said...

So proud! Also, definitely going to be trying these. Love you!

crazywoman said...

That should have been *your*. I hate it when I find typos after I post!

And that is a very good point Dinah!!

I just fixed some, and am eating now!!!
crazywoman/Billie

Dinah said...

awe Cortney, I'm so glad to make you proud!!!! ya gotta try these crackers. Ross and Amber ate all of them I made Sunday. I should have made ya'll some more. I love you toots!

Anonymous said...

I love these things! Love them with salsa, guacamole, and onion dip. Also love them made into little taco shells. Yum!

Angie

Jeanne said...

Thank you so much Dinah! I have never used the parchment paper! Will try again tonight! Love your blog!

Dinah said...

awe, thank you Angie and Jeanne! I'm kinda having fun with this. Glad to have my buddies here. Just kinda putting my "stuff" out here. Nice kind of outlet. Love you guys and thanks for following along with my madness! hugzzzzzzzzzzz

Unknown said...

Hi How long do these last and how do you store them

crazywoman said...

Jean, after they are cool, I put them in a ziplock bag.
Normally they don't last very long, cause we eat them! :)
But, I've had some that I made an extra large batch, and they lasted quite a while. I'm not sure how long, but sealed they should last about a week (maybe longer), if they stay around that long.
I live in a dry climate, so they might keep longer for me than someone who lives in a more humid climate But sealed well, they should still keep quite a while.
Hope that helps!