10 Ways To Use Ritz Crackers You Have To Try At Least Once

We all know Ritz Crackers make wonderful vessels for mini sandwiches, particularly ones filled with peanut butter. Obviously, they taste great as-is, too, but is that where their enjoyment stops? You better believe it's not. So, what else can you do with them? The possibilities are virtually limitless. I mean, they are buttery, flaky crackers after all. What doesn't go well with butter and some crunch? As it turns out, not much. From salads and casseroles to a shockingly wide array of desserts, Ritz Crackers are just what many of your dishes have been craving.

I sifted through what seemed like a never-ending list of recipes online to find some of the best uses for Ritz Crackers and narrowed the choices down to 10 super fun and tasty ones that you've probably never thought of but absolutely need to try. Whether you have a bunch of sleeves of Ritz Crackers you need to use up before they become stale or you're simply an avid fan of the little, crunchy bundles of joy, knowing about the ways I discovered to enjoy them will serve you well. I should know — I've tried several of them before, and since my journey began, even went for a couple more. Can you blame me? Ritz Crackers are delicious.

The first creative way to enjoy Ritz Crackers that you've likely never thought of before but need to try at least once is using them in place of croutons on your salads. If you think about it, Ritz Crackers already have all the best elements of a top-notch crouton; they're crunchy, buttery, filling, and flavorful to boot, so smashing them up a bit and tossing them on a salad isn't even that big of a stretch. Even so, they are a delicious ingredient swap.

As for which salads are craving a little Ritz Cracker crouton infusion, the sky's the limit. However, Caesar salads are an obvious choice. There are numerous ways to upgrade a Caesar salad so it tastes more like a restaurant-quality dish, and one of them is to get creative with the toppings. If Ritz Crackers aren't a creative topping, I don't know what is. Caesar salad with crushed Ritz Cracker croutons is a winning combo. That's just the beginning, though. Really, any salad that benefits from croutons will take to Ritz Crackers well, and doesn't that translate to all salads? You betcha it does, so go wild. Just make sure not to smash your crackers so much that they become more like crouton dust, and you'll do great.

As we all know, Ritz Crackers are buttery and yummy enough to be enjoyed without any kind of enhancements. Straight from the sleeve is good enough for most of us. Even so, a little boost of flavor never hurt anyone, and that's what this next use for our favorite crackers delivers: potent, complex flavors in every bite. Hooray! What is it? Well, nothing more than a coating of everything bagel or ranch seasoning, of course. It sounds simple because it is, but just the thought of it is enough to get me drooling. It probably doesn't hurt that I've enjoyed Ritz Crackers coated with everything bagel seasoning before and was instantly a fan. Still, whether you snag a pre-made jar of the seasoning, such as from Trader Joe's, or try to recreate it yourself, this is one flavor upgrade you don't want to miss out on.

Due to the nature of everything bagel seasoning (and ranch powder for that matter, too), a little melted butter or olive oil goes a long way in helping ensure the tasty blends of flavor adhere to every nook and cranny of your Ritz Crackers. Other than that, turning them into little flavor powerhouses couldn't be simpler. Coat the crackers in butter, toss, repeat with ranch powder or everything bagel seasoning, and you're done. You could add them to a snack mix with popcorn and pretzels as well, but it's not necessary.

When making burger patties or meatloaf, a binding agent of some kind is a must. Without one, all of your hard work crumbles before your eyes. Ritz Crackers are just what you need to prevent this from happening while simultaneously upping the ante on textural delight. You've likely heard of people adding Corn Flakes to their meatloaf (there are so many secret ingredients and tricks that make the humble dish shine), and Ritz Crackers do the same thing. However, their buttery goodness adds way more flavor. Who can argue with that?

If you bring veggie burgers into the mix, the need for a binding agent only escalates. While many people reach for something like eggs or peanut butter, Ritz Crackers are another fantastic option. You may still want to use a bit of egg or peanut butter, but the addition of crunchy cracker crumbles takes them to the next level. Not only do they help ingredients stick together, but they add a bit of oomph in the texture department that won't go unnoticed. There is a seemingly never-ending list of ingredients that transform veggie burgers, but adding crunch from Ritz Crackers or something similar is quite possibly the best.

First and foremost, Ritz Crackers are a savory snack. However, by this point, we can easily see they far transcend the confines of snacking. While you may not think to add a savory, crunchy cracker to desserts, let me tell you: It most certainly can be done, and it's yummy enough that you need to try it at least once. My guess is once you do, it'll be more than a one-time thing, though.

One of the most unique ways I uncovered involves using Ritz Crackers to make a mock apple pie. You still get all the same cinnamon and sugar flavors, but instead of actual apples, Ritz Crackers are used. Interestingly enough, it even looks like apples. People seem to love it, too. For a less dramatic infusion, Ritz Crackers can also be placed in between layers of cake to add a bit of texture and more buttery goodness.

For those of us who don't fancy themselves bakers, you can even slice up store-bought cheesecake into tiny bite-sized pieces and simply place them on top of a Ritz Cracker for more of a single-serving, hassle-free way to incorporate the yummy crackers into your sweet treats. Take them to a party, and something tells me they will be gobbled up at rapid speeds as well.

Everyone loves nachos. One of the reasons people love the dish so much is that you can load it up with just about any kind of toppings you want, and, of course, there are the chips. Crunchy and the perfect vessel for cutlery-free enjoyment, they bring a plate of nachos together. Even so, sometimes they don't hold up to the weight of whatever ingredients are put on top. That's okay, though; we all know how to make it happen regardless, but there's one ingredient swap that can help. Yup, you guessed it — changing out tortilla chips for Ritz Crackers.

Using Ritz Crackers as a base for nacho ingredients is pretty self-explanatory. Cover the bottom of a plate or pan, and add your favorite toppings. However, with Ritz Crackers, you don't have to stick to the usual suspects. You can top them with anything from Parmesan chicken, marinara, and Alfredo sauce to something sweet like strawberries, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips. If these options seem a bit too extreme for you, you could also go for something more aligned with classic nachos, like hot honey and street corn. Really, though, the possibilities are limitless when it comes to using Ritz Crackers to create a base for nachos, both classic and creative.

If you're looking for more creative ways to turn Ritz Crackers into little dessert powerhouses, Ritz Bits has your back. Their miniature size makes them the ideal addition to puppy chow and also makes them a shoo-in for mini churro bites. Yum! Best of all, both of these desserts are incredibly easy to make.

Thanks to Ritz Bits already being fully formed crackers, you won't have to worry about deep-frying anything for churros. Let's face it: That's by far the most complicated part of making churros. If that seems daunting, why not just eliminate it? You still get all the drool-worthy cinnamon and sugar but without the hassle. I don't know about you, but sign me up.

Puppy chow, on the other hand, is already simple to make. It doesn't even require any baking, so adding Ritz Bits won't save you time. It sure will be delicious, though. Even more butter and crunch? Yes, please! I mean, I'm actually contemplating getting up from my desk to go to the store and buy the ingredients to make Ritz Bits puppy chow right this instant.

Pizza is another recipe people can't get enough of. Still, sometimes you want a taste of the dish without going full throttle. I mean, how many times per week can you eat pizza? A lot, but I digress. When a craving hits, Ritz Crackers are ready to come into the equation and satisfy your urge for pizza without going all in.

Stacking ingredients on Ritz Crackers is nothing new. However, turning them into little Ritz Cracker pepperoni pizzas is a surefire way to steal the show. Simply load each cracker up with cheese and pepperoni, and bake until melted. Then, serve them alongside a dish of marinara, and you're good to go. You could also add a small amount of pizza sauce to the crackers, but the ratio can be tricky. Too much sauce and your crackers easily become mushy, so it's best to use it as a dip instead. Obviously, you don't have to stick with just pepperoni, either. You can make Ritz Cracker pizzas with any of your favorite toppings, be they bell peppers, onions, olives, artichokes, or whatever else your little heart desires.

While not a necessity, baked pasta dishes and casseroles of all kinds benefit from a bit of something crunchy sprinkled over the top. Bread crumbs are typically the go-to ingredient for this, but Ritz Crackers work just as well — some (like me) might even say better. For example, baked macaroni and cheese topped with crushed Ritz Crackers is a match made in heaven. It's not like your typical mac needs extra butter or anything, but the flavor from the crackers can only be described as right on the money when it comes to our favorite baked pasta dish.

The beauty of casseroles is that they are basically a catch-all for any ingredients you have in your fridge and pantry. All you need is something hearty, like meat or vegetables, a sauce of some sort, like a can of creamy soup, and an oven, and you have a casserole. Easy peasy. Obviously, a crunchy topping like Ritz Crackers only makes them better, so really, you can put them on any kind of casserole you whip up. Ree Drummond likes to use Ritz Crackers as both a topping and a filling in her broccoli and cheese casseroles, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. You could also use them with green bean casserole, chicken and rice casseroles, and the list goes on.

In addition to topping casseroles, bread crumbs are often used to, well, bread things. It's in the name, after all. However, there's no need to stick to the basics when the time to bread your favorite ingredients arises, especially if you want to expand your Ritz Cracker repertoire. That's right, they're also up to the task of breading everything from mozzarella sticks and fried chicken to zucchini and beyond. What can't our beloved Ritz Crackers do?

The most challenging part of using Ritz Crackers for breading is getting the texture just right, and really, it's not that tricky. Just crush your crackers enough so that they will easily and seamlessly cling to whatever you happen to be breading without leaving gaps, just like your typical bread crumb will. If you want more Panko-style crumbs, smash them a bit finer. See, not that hard, right? After that, you can use your Ritz Crackers just like you would classic bread crumbs, with an egg wash and some flour. The only difference will be in the drool-worthy, uber buttery flavor they provide, and that's something we can all get behind.

Last but certainly not least on our list of ways to use Ritz Crackers that you need to try is dipping them in chocolate. We already touched on a couple of ways our little buttery friends work with desserts, but sometimes all you need is a bit of chocolate to make the most delicious sweet treat of them all. Add some more butter and a touch of salt — both of which are found in Ritz Crackers — and watch out!

Coating Ritz Crackers in chocolate is as easy as melting chocolate (in the microwave or with a double boiler) and dipping or pouring it over the crackers. I like to dip because it doesn't waste as much chocolate, but either option will suffice. Then, after a few minutes of cooling, they're good to go. As is the case with chocolate, though, this isn't where the fun variations stop. You can also make knock-off Ritz Cracker Thin Mints when you can't get your hands on the Girl Scouts' classic recipe. Or, you could try your hand at recreating the discontinued Cadbury Ritz Cracker Chocolate Bar (if you know, you know). No matter what kind of chocolate Ritz Cracker you make, you're going to have trouble keeping them around for very long. I know mine don't last longer than a day.