ritz cracker

This silky, creamy cheese dip recipe with crispy bacon is a must for an appetizer. but I suppose you could spread it on a sandwich, too!

Cheddar and Bacon Dip

mayonnaise

t finely chopped white onion

Tabasco sauce

oz sharp cheddar cheese, About

Cook bacon with your preferred method. I always microwave whole strips, but it you are chopping it, probably better to do it on the burner.

Transfer 2 T of bacon drippings to a 4 cup measuring cup and stir in mayonnaise, hot sauce and onion. Whisk until well blended.

Now add your freshly grated cheese. Get out your immersion blender and pulse until everything is silky and blended. An alternative is to use a food processor.

Chill if you have time and serve with crackers or celery!

Sounds like a bowl of deliciousness I could hurt myself on! Hope you had a wonderful Hanukah and wishing you a very Happy New Year!

Bobby just bought a 2 pound block of cheddar Costco.  this is going to be a New Year's snack!  YUM!  I'm already craving it.  Hope you and your family are having an absolutely wonderful holiday season.

In this casserole, a homemade cheese sauce that’s good enough to toss with pasta replaces the canned creamed soup. When you mix in broccoli florets and cooked rice, then top the whole thing with crushed crackers and more Cheddar, you get a gooey holiday side with a crisp top. Use white or orange Cheddar or a mix of the 2, aiming for a range of 4 to 5 cups, based on how rich and cheesy you’d like it. And while this does contain a lot of broccoli, you’ll probably want to serve a salad on the side.

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

unsalted butter,

Kosher salt

broccoli

red-pepper flakes

scallions

black pepper

all-purpose flour

milk

Cheddar cheese

white rice

Ritz crackers

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bright green. Drain immediately and set aside.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter with 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes over medium heat. When melted, add the scallions, 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper, and cook until scallions have softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour and stir to combine. Stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, until the flour streaks are slightly golden in color, then add the milk in a slow stream, stirring continuously.

Continue to stir the milk until the mixture is thick and creamy, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add 4 cups of the cheese, stirring vigorously to melt it down into a smooth sauce. Taste and season with salt.

Add the cooked rice and parboiled broccoli to the pot and stir until evenly coated with sauce.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup grated cheese, Ritz crackers and remaining 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbling. For more color, cook under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, watching carefully. Serve warm.

This cozy creamy baked pasta has a unique miso-laden béchamel base and a buttery, crushed Ritz cracker and scallion topping. The triple-cheese sauce combines sharp Cheddar, tangy Gruyère and nutty Parmesan, but feel free to use all Cheddar, if preferred. The mac and cheese gets a kick from spicy Dijon mustard, which cuts through the rich sauce. Pasta shells have great pockets for catching the cheesy sauce, but classic macaroni will also work great. Serve the full-bodied dish with a crisp bitter green salad on the side.

Scallion-Miso Mac and Cheese

pasta shells

Salt and pepper

unsalted butter (2 tablespoons melted plus 4 tablespoons unmelted)

buttery crackers (preferably Ritz), finely crumbled (1 cup)

white miso

Dijon mustard

cheese

¼ cup 1 ounce freshly grated Parmesan

NYT Cooking

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/11/05/multimedia/05FD-KC-Scallion-Miso-Mac-and-Cheese-zgbj/05FD-KC-Scallion-Miso-Mac-and-Cheese-zgbj-videoSixteenByNineJumbo1600.jpg

Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/11/05/multimedia/05FD-KC-Scallion-Miso-Mac-and-Cheese-zgbj/05FD-KC-Scallion-Miso-Mac-and-Cheese-zgbj-googleFourByThree.jpg

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/11/05/multimedia/05FD-KC-Scallion-Miso-Mac-and-Cheese-zgbj/05FD-KC-Scallion-Miso-Mac-and-Cheese-zgbj-mediumSquareAt3X.jpg

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/11/05/multimedia/05FD-KC-Scallion-Miso-Mac-and-Cheese-zgbj/05FD-KC-Scallion-Miso-Mac-and-Cheese-zgbj-facebookJumbo.jpg

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions until a few minutes shy of al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the melted butter and crackers and mix until well blended.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large Dutch oven, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium. Add flour and cook, whisking frequently, until well incorporated and flour is no longer raw, about 1 minute. While whisking constantly, add milk in a slow, steady stream. Add miso, season with salt and pepper and bring back to a simmer, whisking occasionally and mashing the miso to help it dissolve. Cook, whisking frequently, until mixture is smooth and slightly thickened, 3 minutes.

Turn off heat and add mustard, Cheddar, Gruyère and Parmesan. Whisk until smooth and season with salt and pepper.

Add pasta to the cheese sauce and mix well. Stir scallions into the cracker mixture, then scatter it over the top of the pasta in an even layer. Bake until golden brown, 20 minutes.

Serve warm in shallow bowls. Garnish with more scallions and pepper, if desired.

V good with the following mods: 

1) double the dijon 
2) diced shallot, cooked in a little olive oil prior to making the roux 
3) onion, garlic, and porcini powder in the sauce (scant teaspoon of each) plus little pinch of cayenne
4) more cheese on top along with the crackers for a nice top crust

This was my girl dinner for tonight! I wanted to test the recipe before making it for my bf who is an adventurous and picky eater. Crazy combo but it’s true. 

The flavor fell flat and I didn’t love how grainy the sauce ended up being once it was served. I saw some comments say to add less milk so I’ll do that but I think extra seasoning like rubbed sage or even Korean chili pepper would be good. Probably won’t make it again unless my mother wants to try it

This is the best mac and cheese I’ve ever made. So perfectly creamy and delicious without being greasy. I used 2% milk instead of whole and it was so good. My husband and I cannot get enough of it.

Cooked garlic + onion (finely minced) in 2 tbsp of the butter before making the roux and it added a lot of flavor. Also added paprika! Pretty good recipe overall, would make again :)

do not need that much milk... used about 3/4 of what they said

This was very good; I’ll do it again with panko + salted butter. The ritz didn’t add much for us and isn’t something we usually have on hand. The servings are very, very generous if you’re cooking as written for 4. I’d say at least it serves at least 6, if you’re serving with a salad or green veg, and we have pretty healthy appetites.

Try drizzling some sesame oil on top (not too much) after it comes out of the oven or on an individual serving.

@nick m. Agree! We didn’t have that much milk so only used 3 cups. Plenty!

this african american household can offer some ways to improve the blandness to which some have referred. (let me also say that i believe that the ritz cracker-scallop crust to be a genius technique)

first: where it says season with salt and pepper, i recommend sprinkling onion and garlic powder LIBERALLY. compliments the creaminess with some needed savoriness to complement the umami of the miso 

second: learn from the vegans. a tablespoon of nutritional yeast goes a long way in complementing the nuttiness of the gruyere without adding gruyere cost. 

three, and i cannot recommend this enough: you do not need that much milk. makes sauce too watery. i did two cups milk and one cup of BROTH. flavor was hitting. 

fourth: maybe this will be tacky to the more refined palate, but combine sharp and smoked cheddar. 

follow my african american household technique and this recipe will slap, as we say in oakland, california.

Would a pinch of cayenne spice it up a bit?

A delightful Mac and Cheese, with the miso and mustard adding really deep flavor. We found ourselves adding Sriracha to our bowls for the heat. Definitely can add heat as the bechamel gets going if you like, with chili flakes a good suggestion. We did make sure to get the full cup of scallions and that helps the texture and a nice punch throughout. It is a touch oversauced for just one pound of pasta but that's kind of the decadence of it.

Didn't have enough scallions for this so fried some leeks beforehand and added back to the pot before it went into the oven. Used more miso as others suggested, panko instead of crackers, topped with chopped walnuts and cilantro at the end. Served some cauliflower on the side...for our health!! Delicious and would make again!

Rich and creamy mac and cheese for adults although next time we make this we will add a head of chopped up cauliflower to the end of the pasta cooking so it isn’t quit so saucy

I used panko because I didn't want the butteriness of the Ritz crackers. Put a generous helping of red pepper flakes in the sauce, and included some other fun spices in the panko+scallion topping. It was divine!

We made the recipe exactly as written and it was just a bit underwhelming. Next time I would use more scallions and add them into the cheese mixture. A bit of hot sauce worked wonders.

NYT must have some BIG scallions! 4 scallions gave me a scant 1/3 c. Ended up chopping about 8 scallions to get 3/4 c. Made for a very scallion-y topping which I think is the intent. Added some parm to the topping too.

Increased miso to a healthy 3 TB bec everything is better with miso!

Overall a 5 star dish! A big upgrade from traditional Mac n cheese.

@Marc Wortsman maybe GF panko for the Ritz sub

Just made! Good but tastes slightly flat to me. I added chili flakes after baking and if I make again, would increase scallions by 1-2.

@Sarah agreed! Could be more flavorful for sure. I think less milk, more miso & definitely chili flakes.

@Marc Wortsman You can use gluten-free flour (I use King Arthur brand). Not sure of best substitute for the Ritz crackers.

Flour and cracker substitutes for making this gluten free? I already use GF pasta.

Miso is great for adding flavor, but its real strength is all the healthy bacteria for the GI tract that it contains. So healthy. But boiling miso kills all that bacteria, so it should never be boiled. In this recipe, after taking it off the heat, before adding mustard & cheese, once the temp goes below boiling the miso can be safely whisked in.  Get all the incredible health benefits of miso that you are paying for.

Because this is so rich, I think it’s closer to 6 servings than 4.

@Marc Wortsman I agree that GF Panko would be a good sub for Ritz crackers. Schar also makes a Ritz-like GF cracker - they call them “Entertainment Crackers.”

@ds Doesn’t matter.  You’re baking it in the oven.

I followed the recipe except: (1) I added 1/8 tsp red pepper into the milk mixture and (2) mixed some of the breadcrumb/scallion mixture into the pasta pre-baking. Really good! Make sure to use *at least* 1 lb. pasta, it’s pretty saucy.

@Daniel Starr because a bechamel makes it creamy and rich and not dry and gummy

These meatballs, inspired by traditional Korean barbecue, bring the savory-sweet flavors of caramelized meat without the need for a grill. As the meatballs bake, the soy sauce marries the garlic and scallions to create a glaze. This meatball mixture can be made ahead and left to marinate in the fridge for 3 hours or even overnight. Use ground beef that is 85 percent lean meat, 15 percent fat, or 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat for juicier meatballs. The Ritz crackers here make for a more tender meatball, but feel free to substitute plain dry bread crumbs. The meatballs are tasty on their own, but for a simple dipping sauce, combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar. Serve over steamed rice with kimchi, or as a sandwich with mayonnaise or marinara sauce.

Korean BBQ-Style Meatballs

beef

Ritz crackers (12 crackers)

soy sauce

garlic

kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/04/19/multimedia/19kidsrex-meatballs-gvjq/19kidsrex-meatballs-gvjq-videoSixteenByNineJumbo1600-v2.jpg

Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/04/19/multimedia/19kidsrex-meatballs-gvjq/19kidsrex-meatballs-gvjq-googleFourByThree-v2.jpg

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/04/19/multimedia/19kidsrex-meatballs-gvjq/19kidsrex-meatballs-gvjq-mediumSquareAt3X-v2.jpg

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/04/19/multimedia/19kidsrex-meatballs-gvjq/19kidsrex-meatballs-gvjq-facebookJumbo-v2.jpg

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and use your hands to gently mix.

Shape the meat into 12 golf-ball-size rounds (about 2 inches in diameter), and arrange on a greased rimmed baking sheet.

Bake until golden and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

These meatballs have been on rotation at my home for a few years now. I omit the Ritz Crackers and use Panko instead. I do add the salt but use full strength soy sauce when I have it. I don’t taste the difference between low or regular soy in cooking.
Scallions have to be very finely chopped or trying to incorporate into the meatballs while shaping becomes “iffy”.

Not perfect, but pretty good. I felt like it needed a little more oomph as it was slightly bland to me. Next time I would add more heat to it with a little bit of diced jalapeno, more ginger, and more garlic. Someone mentioned 2tbsp gochujang to be added and I bet that would be a good add too.

Reduce garlic to 1T, add 1T grated ginger.

Made this exactly per recipe and it was delightful. The flavor from the scallions were pleasant. I'm happy to find the super power of Ritz crackers!  With the meatballs left over, I made a sandwich smeared with lingonberry sauce, that was fun too. Really any flavorful jam or jelly would work with these meatballs.

Insanely good. Instant classic in our house. Moist, moorish - just wonderful. I added a tablespoon of gochujang and teaspoon of jar ginger to the mixture just because we love those. Over steamed rice with some fresh coriander, it was really a standout.

Will make this again, for sure. But as others noted, with ginger! Great, east weeknight meal.

I’m always substituting ingredients based on what I have on hand and available in our small town grocery. However IMO many recipes have non-negotiable ingredients, especially simple recipes like this one. I’ve made this recipe several times as written and with substitutions. Use the ground chuck and Ritz crackers.

I think someone needs to come back and fix the recipe as it looks like a portion of the ingredients were removed at some point. Gochujang and ginger notably. Otherwise, you end up with teriyaki meatballs.

Substituted gf crackers and tamari and it still worked well. Added the glaze mentioned in comments - also very good

Made these for at least the 10th time, following the recipe. Absolutely delicious.

I dont know where I went wrong, but the texture on these was...not pleasant? I added the gochujang, ginger, sesame oil as recommended and think this was probably the right call. Flavor-wise these were really good (served with rice and a smashed cucumber salad that was heavy on rice wine vinegar, v yum).

Doubled the recipe. Used my Kitchenaid with a dough hook to mix. Added 2 Tbsp of microplaned fresh ginger. Baked 24 meatballs on a half sheet pan as directed, and they were fantastic. Served with sticky rice and a simple coleslaw of green cabbage, carrot, red bell pepper, and cilantro, dressed with sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.

Super moist and tasty but too salty so would omit the salt and just add the low sodium soy sauce or tamari. I served as a lettuce wrap with cucumber salad (cucumber, rice vinegar, soy), bean sprouts, shredded carrots, peanuts and shredded cabbage. I also made an apricot jam, gochujang, soy and rice vinegar glaze all served on the side

Made them entirely without extra salt and they tasted great. And if you have the Trader Joe’s Yangnyeom sauce, they taste even better dipped in that!

- Double recipe
- ADD (per lb): 2tbsp gochujang, 1tbsp ginger, more garlic

Glaze: 
1/3	cup apricot preserves
2	tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 1/2	tablespoons rice vinegar
1	tablespoon soy sauce

Meanwhile, in small saucepot, combine all glaze ingredients. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened. 

To serve, brush meatballs with glaze and sprinkle with green onion and sesame seeds.

I followed another reviewer's lead and omitted the additional salt, added in sesame seed oil (1/2 tbsp), ginger (1 tbsp), extra scallions and a few red pepper flakes --- with these modifications, these were super flavorful and moist! I did not find them bland or dry at all.

I recently saw a cooking show with Kenji Lopez-Alt as a guest. He demonstrated why salt is a critical ingredient in meatballs because it allows the proteins to stick together. The ratio of salt to meat is important for texture, so if you reduce the salt, the meatballs would likely be crumbly. Hope that helps.

This recipe seems so nineteen fifties—Ritz crackers!—but, it is really good and easy to make. But, could someone tell me why I am supposed to use low sodium soy sauce and then to add a teaspoon of salt?

Used 2 Tbsp regular soy sauce and reduced salt to 1/4 tsp. Added 1 Tbsp minced ginger, 1/2 tsp red chile flakes and 1 tsp sesame oil, and an extra 1/2 tsp black pepper. The ritz crackers added a nice buttery richness to the meatballs, vs panko. I mixed the meat mixture in the morning and let it marinate in the fridge all day. I made 30 meatballs from 1 lb beef, as we like them bite-sized. Baked at 425* for 9 min. Served with steamed rice and stir fried peppers and onions. Yummy.

Similar to my mom's fantastic Korean-style barbecue marinade, but missing one crucial flavor!  Add maybe a tablespoon of toasted sesame seed oil.

These were delicious with a few key tweaks: to really get the flavour the recipe describes you need to measure out your pepper and not just grind in a random amount. Also like most good Korean bbq, it needs sugar. I added 2 tbsp brown sugar to the mix. Another reviewer suggested sesame oil and I added a tsp. They caramelized when they baked and we ate them in soft rolls with sriracha mayo and pickled jalapeños. Not authentic to anything but the cult of the delicious sandwich.

This would have been pretty boring without 'jazzing' it up a bit. Added a little worschestire sauce and hoisin as well as an egg. Served with rice and a fresh slaw with cabbage, carrot, mint, basil, red onion and a little mayo/hoisin/soy/sesame oil.

These are fine - I would not make again, as I thought they were dry and bland. I added gochugaru for spice and subbed gluten-free breadcrumbs. A dipping sauce is a must -- I'd suggest a combination of soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, crushed ginger, scallion, and gochugaru.

The low sodium Kikkoman soy sauce has a better flavor, in my opinion.

Just curious--what makes this a Korean BBQ style meatball? I would simply call it an asian meatball.

Used pork/beef mixture and added sriracha, gochuchuang, fish sauce, ginger and an egg. Used panko instead of ritz. This recipe is quick, easy and delicious. Throw it over cauliflower rice with some kimchi and pickles for a quick weeknight meal.

Easy and tasty. Served with white rice. Put everything on a bed of raw baby spinach sprinkled with fresh lime juice. Used hot pepper jelly as a condiment.

Prepared this as written using panko instead of Ritz and adding the sesame seed oil mentioned above.  It was easy, quick, and delicious (as others have said!) and the sesame seed oil made a decisive difference.  Maybe can use ground beef with lower fat content given the added oil.

If you can, go with the Ritz crackers... first time I made this I used an Australian brand of crackers (Arnott's Jatz) which look identical but was like crushing poker chips. Ritz are buttery and light; better than panko crumbs, too.

Top 4 ritz cracker recipes from across the web

The most viewed ritz cracker recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Cheddar and Bacon Dip

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Scallion-Miso Mac and Cheese

Korean BBQ-Style Meatballs

Top 4 ritz cracker recipes from across the web

The most viewed ritz cracker recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Cheddar and Bacon Dip

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Scallion-Miso Mac and Cheese

Korean BBQ-Style Meatballs

The most viewed ritz cracker recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine