Cabot Cheddar Spiced Up Crackers.

Tonight we are hosting an impromptu casual dinner with friends.  When I’m in a rush to throw something together, I always turn to easy recipes that I know are failsafe.  Plus, I make a variety of foods because not everyone can eat everything.  Allergies seem to be more and more prevalent as I’m discovering.  One of our guests is allergic to nuts and one is has a gluten allergy so I’m making a fun springy arugula salad with fresh strawberries & pears, these spiced up Cabot cheddar crackers and baguettes I picked up at a local bakery to pair up with my pesto made without nuts.  I’m also making some brown rice pasta which is gluten free.

These crackers are super easy to make and you can make them ahead of time – which helps when multi-tasking.  These are also great as leftovers, stored in an airtight container for breakfast the next day or for lunch.  Great also with soup!
Ingredients:

1 brick – 16 ounces of Sharp Cheddar cheese (I used Aged Seriously Sharp Cabot Cheddar) – grated
3 tablespoons of gluten free (I used Bob’s Red Mill) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of dried parsley
Salt and pepper
Optional:  Cayenne pepper

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  Place all ingredients into a large bowl and toss gently ( your hands work best).  Once all the spices are evenly distributed – I pinch about 1/4 cup with my hand and drop the cheese into mounds on the baking sheet.  They will spread out quite a bit so leave enough room in between cheese mounds.  I top with additional salt and pepper.  Bake for 6 minutes or so.  Then I broil on low (if you oven has a low setting), if not, broil on high and keep an eye on it while it cooks.  Once crispy around the edges and golden – remove and let cool on the baking sheet.  Remove with a spatula and place in a bowl or platter for easy serving.

— Knead to Cook