These are pretty good savory bars, but I don’t know that I’d make them again. The cracker crust is good, but I would actually use something different, as this recipe results in a really crumbly crust, even though it contains 1.5 sticks of butter.
The cheese/tomato layer is really good, and is actually the star of the show, If one were to make these with a different type of savory crust, they’d be outstanding. This recipe is based on one from Food and Wine.
What you’ll need
- 1.5 sleeves saltine crackers, coarsely crushed
- 0.75 cu unsalted butter (6 ounces), melted
- 4 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup), divided
- 2 large egg yolks, beaten
- 10 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 2.5 cups)
- 4T mayonnaise
- 1T minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce
- 1t curry powder, divided
- 0.5t black pepper, divided
- 1 pint mixed cherry tomatoes (about 2.5 cups)
- 1t kosher salt
- Fresh basil or cilantro leaves, for garnish
What to do
Begin heating your oven to 350°F.
Pulse the crackers in a food processor until crumbly, but with some pea-size pieces remaining, 6 to 7 pulses. This will produce about 3 cups of crumbs. In a large bowl, stir together the cracker crumbs, butter, 0.75 cups of the Parmesan, and egg yolks, until combined. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch square pan lined with parchment paper. Bake until lightly browned—about 17 minutes minutes. Let it cool on a rack for 1 hour before moving to the next step.
In a large bowl, stir together the cheddar, mayonnaise, chipotle, 0.5t curry powder, and 0.25t black pepper.
Cut the tomatoes into 0.25-inch slices and place them on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides (I did only one side, ‘cuz I was lazy) with salt, 0.5t curry powder and 0.25t pepper. Let it rest for 15 or so minutes.
For the final assembly, evenly spread the cheese mixture on top of the crust, and top it with the tomatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining 0.25 cups Parmesan.
Bake at 350°F until golden brown for about 20 minutes, then let it cool on a rack for about 40 minutes. Garnish with basil or cilantro before cutting and serving.
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