Recipe: Hot Crackers...When the Cool Ranch Dorito met the Ritz Cracker

It wasn't the twenty-four hour brined turkey - the mulled Honeycrisp apple cider - or those scratch-made cheddar + chive biscuits that had my Thanksgiving guests going back for seconds and thirds; it was the Hot Crackers!

Hot Crackers: When "Cool Ranch Doritos" met the "Ritz Cracker"

I knew that I wanted to keep the appetizer portion of the meal rather simple, both in terms of workload for myself and for everyone's appetites.  After all, it's just like my grandmother used to say, "You don't want to spoil your dinner!"  Although I never listened to that specific advice, I knew that whatever she said was probably pretty solid.
Why Hot Crackers, you ask?  Well, for one, they're outrageously delicious.  And, secondly, they're super easy to make.  I don't know about you, but just having the words "delicious" and "easy" so close together is reason enough for me!

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Hot Crackers
This is a tweaked recipe that I received from one of my best friends after she made them for a girl's road trip.  I went absolutely bananas over them and would not stop bugging my friend about these crackers until she gave me the recipe.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I - and everyone else - do!  

Ingredients
Serves approximately 15-20 guests, however, recipe can easily be divided in half

• 1 3/4 cups canola oil
• 1/4 cup crushed red pepper
• 2 packages dry Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
• 1.5 boxes (6 sleeves) Saltine Crackers

Method
Whisk oil, crushed red pepper, and seasoning mix together in a bowl.  In a large, deep bowl or disposable aluminum roasting pan, empty sleeves of crackers.  Pour liquid mixture over the crackers and gently toss (taking care not to break crackers) in an effort to moisten as many crackers as possible.  Cover crackers and set aside, returning every 15-20 minutes to gently toss.  Crackers are ready when all of the liquid has been absorbed, 3-4 hours.
Store in air-tight container or plastic zip bags.
Believe it or not, these crackers get better with age; they should keep for approximately 2-weeks!

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Lindsay, Beverly Hills Bites