Easy Entertaining: Cracker and Topping Pairings

Easy tips for choosing which cracker to serve with cheese, dip or almost any topping.

It’s happened to the best of us: You’re at a party; you bite into an abundantly-topped cracker. The cracker doesn’t just crumble, it disintegrate.  The topping is strewn down your cute dress – or swell tie.

Ugh. You can thank the chef who over-loaded topping on flimsy cracker.

In this season of showers, graduation parties and picnics, here’s how not to end up with cracker-topping-spattered guests.

This idea was sparked by this brilliant tweet from one of my favorite peeps to follow: @mizsant digital editor of @Saveur magazine:

@mizsant: @MichellinaJones @sadeghin One of my many million-dollar ideas is a “stuff on crackers” tasting menu.

Cruising down the supermarket cracker aisle, I was surprised to discover how many healthier options there are these days. Before, the only time crackers were on my shopping list was if we were having a party.

But I now see potential for my kid’s lunches since many varieties are now made with 100% whole grains. (All cracker brands mentioned here are whole grain.)

After taste-testing several varieties of crackers and mixing and matching types of toppings, here are my Tips for Pairing Crackers with Toppers: 

1) Pair chewy toppings with hearty crackers.

Stacked cheese and salami  are classic cracker toppers; but they don’t do well on a flimsy cracker. Because you hold on tight to a piece of Salume Beddu (artisan St. Louis favorite,) if the cracker is a wimpy thin crisp, a shower of cracker crumbs will result. No cracker will remain for the second bite.

• Serve chewy salami, sausage or aged cheeses atop a hearty cracker: Rye crisps (Wasa Crisps,) Deanna’s crunchy Cumin & Chickpea Flatbread or my Cornbread Crackers.

2) Pair soft toppings with light crispy crackers.

This Cooking Light staff favorite Sweet Pea Crostini with Ricotta  is springy pea puree with airy ricotta and just doesn’t compliment a hearty, heavy woven wheat (like Whole Wheat Triscuits.) Especially if you’ve taken the time (only 15 minutes!) to make your own ricotta – which I HIGHLY recommend ==> It’s amazingly easy and so super-creamy.

• Serve lighter toppings on complimentary buttery, light crackers: Whole grain butter crackers (like Whole Grain Ritz) or light, crispy whole grain toasted baguette (crostini)

3) Avoid one-bite toppings on two-bite crackers.

Don’t place a cherry tomato, grape, or olive on a long whole butter crisp (like Whole Grain Townhouse). It’s not very dainty to stuff an entire Townhouse into your mouth. But it’s also hardly dignified to bite a tomato in half – spurting seeds all over.

• Use one-bite crackers for one-bite toppings: Wheat crisps (Wheat Thins) or round butter crackers (whole wheat Ritz.)

4) Serve at least one unexpected topping.

Get adventurous and serve an entire tasting menu on crackers! Go way past ho-hum hummus or pre-made Ranch dip with terrific toppers – by serving any of these:

Avocado Toast with Cucumber & Lemon via Cristina @BeginWithinNutrition
Smokey Eggplant Dip via Tara @TheWholeTara
BBQ Chipotle Almond Butter via Jessica @SmartNutrition
Caprese Dip via Amee @AmeesSavoryDish
Cranberry Goat Cheese Bake via Ari @ArisMenu

Do you regularly buy crackers or just for parties? What are you favorite brands/toppings?