Southern Bacon-Wrapped Crackers Are A Ridiculously Easy Party Food

A great party can range from a few friends gathering for a quiet evening to a music-filled fest with a hundred of your closest friends. Many would agree that it isn't really a party, though, if food isn't involved. And when you're hosting the soiree, the pressure can be high to choose just the right nibbles that will please everyone's palate without taking hours of your time. In these respects, bacon-wrapped crackers might just be the perfect party food.

Bacon-wrapped appetizers, in general, are no new discovery; there are bacon-wrapped watermelon chunks, dates, pineapple, asparagus, scallops, jalapeños — the list goes on. Of course, there's a strong belief that nothing wrapped in bacon could ever be bad, so why not wrap a buttery, crispy cracker in it? In the South, these crunchy little eatables are sometimes called bacon bow ties because of the shape they attain after being baked in the oven. Because they only require two ingredients, they're also a breeze to prepare.

Crackers and bacon are literally all you need. The best crackers for achieving the classic bowtie shape are rectangular butter crackers — you'll notice that the very center of those crackers will constrict a little after baking, leaving a bowtie shape in the snack — but you can use whatever variety you have on hand. If you want to get creative, season your crackers before you wrap them in bacon. Lightly brush each cracker with melted butter before sprinkling on everything bagel seasoning, or just some plain sesame or poppy seeds. However, if you're really short on time, you could consider wrapping crackers in a thin piece of prosciutto instead, and skipping the baking entirely.

The result of your laborious work is crunchy, smoky, chewy, salty finger foods that will probably disappear much sooner than the time it took to bake them, so it's probably wise to make more than you think you'll need. Not only are they exceedingly tasty, but they're also easy for you and your guests to handle, especially if they have a drink in one hand. There's no fumbling with toothpicks, dipping sauces, olive pits, or even napkins.

While wrapping crackers with bacon is perfect in itself, it can also be the starting point of a great finger food. For some spice, add a pickled jalapeño slice on top of the bacon on each cracker; for sweetness, sprinkle a little brown sugar on the crackers before wrapping them with the bacon. The sugar will melt and caramelize in the oven. You can do the same with parmesan or blue cheese, or bake each cracker with a sprinkling of fresh thyme or rosemary on top.

Clearly, bacon-wrapped crackers are proof that you can achieve a lot of flavor with just two ingredients. This same concept applies to flavorful two-ingredient dips, like combining sour cream with taco seasoning, or whipped feta cheese with a handful of fresh herbs. And, of course, never overlook a block of cream cheese and a jar of pepper jelly when brainstorming simple appetizer ideas to accompany your bacon bow ties.