Home-made “Cheez-Its”

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Costco is a dangerous place. It lures you in with promises of cheap goods, then forces you to buy crazy things you would never consider buying otherwise… like an entire 2 lb block of cheese. There are only two people living in this house, what are we going to do with a 2 lb block of cheese? There’s no way we can eat the entire thing and live to tell about it. I can hear my arteries crying just looking at the the thing…

Well, the Boy talked me into this particular block of cheese, and while it’s delicious, it has been plaguing me for what seems like a lifetime. I’m sure it’s only been a month or so, but it’s always in there… taunting me. How many cheeseburgers do I have to make before I work through it? What about sandwiches for lunch? Shred some for tacos or enchiladas, I suppose. Maybe some nachos? Grilled cheese? But it’s white cheddar… white cheddar grilled cheese? Hmmm. Or on pasta? No thanks. A girl can only eat so much cheese…

Then – epiphany! Cheez-its are delicious, right? And gold fish crackers? Yum! White cheddar? Um, hello, way better than orange-dyed cheddar. So finally, I had something to do with my salty, extra-sharp behemoth.

Plus, I got these neat rubber-band things that I put on my rolling pin to ensure I roll to the correct thickness 100% of the time and I’ve been looking for an excuse to use them. So now I got to try them- and it was way better than guessing how thick my dough was or making futile attempts to measure the thickness, and worrying that it wasn’t rolled evenly… I swear I’m not neurotic. You worry about these things too, right?

These crackers are amazing! They’re like little pillows of cheesy, salty, buttery goodness. Plus, they’re super cute. I mean seriously. Look at how cute they are! I think I’ll make some for our next get-together so everyone can bask in the cuteness.

Cheez-its – Adapted from Country Living

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  • 1 c AP flour
  • 4 Tbsp cold, unsalted butter; cubed
  • 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded (I used extra-sharp white cheddar)
  • ¾ tsp salt, separated into ¼ tsp and ½ tsp
  • ¼ tsp pepper (a couple turns of your pepper grinder)
  • Up to 4 Tbsp cold water
  • 1/8 tsp ground cayenne (optional)

Make dough: Pulse all ingredients (except water) in the food processor until the mixed. Slowly pour cold water (1 Tbsp at a time) through the opening while pulsing just until the mixture sticks together, forming into a ball. It’ll look something like…

Remove and gather into one solid chunk. Flatten it into a general rectangle-ish shape (it will make it chill faster and also make it easier to roll out) and place into the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

When ready to bake: Preheat oven to 350F. Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Using a knife or pizza cutter, slice into squares (if you want to be fancy you can use any shape of cookie cutter your heart desires). Sprinkle with salt and place on two parchment-lined sheet pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crispy and lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to a bowl or container to avoid any steam moistening the crackers.

*Tips

*I separated most of my crackers, which was tedious. There were a few towards the end that I didn’t bother separating but baked up just fine regardless (figures). I also poked little holes in the centers to look more cheez-it-y… It didn’t really make a difference.

*I added a little cayenne and it didn’t make them spicy at all, but probably added a little depth to the flavor. I think next time I will use chipotle (because chipotle owns my soul).

*Set a timer! I nearly forgot about my second batch… well, I did forget until I smelled them. Luckily I caught them before they burned!

*If you want perfect crackers you can keep re-rolling and re-cutting, I just figured all the ugly side-scrap pieces were just bonus treats for me, ya know, as quality control

*They puffed up so much that next time I will probably roll them even thinner, which will yield more crackers that are (hopefully) even crispier!

2 thoughts on “Home-made “Cheez-Its”

  1. I can’t wait to try this receipt! We are freaks for cheez-its (in the box), and there’s nothing like homemade. Your site(blog) is wonderful and funny. I look forward everyday to go the wee eats site and see what you have made for all of us foodie fans.

  2. These were so yummy. My family loved them. I bought an 8oz block of sharp cheddar, but after my kids had a slice each I was short, so I added some shredded asiago that I had in the fridge. It added a little extra zing that I really liked. I made a second batch with just cheddar, so I could compare. Try the asiago addition.

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