These Cheddar Cheese Crackers made with Organic Valley Mild Cheddar Cheese slices were a big hit at the BlogHer Food Conference party. After making them I realized they were not only delicious but a “wonder food for kids” as well as those on gluten free diets.
Here’s my case for Wonder Food status:
- Affordable: Each slice makes 9 crackers
- Low calorie: About 10 calories each (nutritionals)
- High protein: 2 crackers have about 1 gram of protein. 9 crackers have 5 grams of protein and only 80 calories!
- Quick and easy
- Gluten free and YUMMY
Ingredient: (singular!)
- Organic Valley Mild Cheddar slices (each slice = 9 crackers, so as many as you like). 8 slices to a pack = 72 crackers!
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450.
- Cover a sheet pan with parchment. If you do not have parchment, use a non-stick pan. Do not use a non-stick pan without parchment or disaster will ensue. (I learned the hard way.)
- Using a sharp knife, slice each cheese slice into 9 squares, by slicing 3 rows across then 3 rows in the other direction.
- Place cheese on the parchment-covered sheet pan, seven rows of five squares across
- Bake approximately 7 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown. Cheese will be bubbling and appear lacey. Watch closely! Cook until entire cheese pieces brown then immediately remove.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes.
- Lay paper towls on a rack or plate, if you would like to dab some of the oil off. You should be able to tilt the parchment to pour the crackers on to the paper towel.
Darker crackers will harden once cool. Crackers that are lighter in the middle may remain soft.
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
The perfect food to turn into a food business? I have not fully tested the shelf life but they are a natural and stay crunchy for days if not weeks.
Serving Ideas – All Gluten Free!
- with guacamole
- topped with apple compote, for that apple pie / cheddar effect
- topped with caramelized onions
- other ideas?
Baking them topped with natural pepperoni so they bake together is another intriguing idea.
Feel free to reprint this and add new twists. Would love a link back to your recipe from the comments. Enjoy!
We like these, too, but James makes them by piling a little pile of grated cheese onto a non-stick pan and doing them that way. Your way is LOTS less work. 🙂
I also have started throwing pepperoni in the pan which melts into the cheese and makes little mini gluten free “pizzas”! (You could add a sundried tomato too for the real pizza effect) 🙂 I’m kinda addicted to doing this!