The 2-Ingredient Appetizer That Never Disappoints

In the hustle and bustle of the season, the words "two-ingredient" ring harmoniously in our ears. Amidst all of Mama's classic – albeit 35-step – recipes, we must scrounge for time and oven space to pull together holiday appetizers for our guests. We turn to simple 2- and 3-ingredient offerings for our party table for this very reason; they're usually quick in the oven and require minimal cleanup. One of our all-time favorite recipes when we're looking for a break from the kitchen? Bacon Bow Tie Crackers.

Once you've tried this old-school Southern snack, you'll want to write it down on a recipe card and pass it off to every bride-to-be you know. Although this recipe takes a little longer in the oven, you'll only need 10 minutes of prep time. These salty, poppable crackers are made with rectangle-shaped buttery crackers (like Club Crackers) and thin slices of bacon. Wrap 1/3 slice of bacon around the center of the cracker, and place the wrapped cracker seam side-down on a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Using a rack in your baking sheet allows the grease from the bacon to drip down into the pan below. Otherwise, the grease will soak into your appetizer, making your crackers soggy.

Let your bow ties bake at a low heat of 250˚ for a little over an hour, until the bacon is crisp and the center edges of the cracker have started to pull in. The end result is a buttery, smoky cracker dressed in its Sunday best and ready to be indulged upon.

WATCH: Crack Crackers

Bacon Bow Tie Crackers are one of the best appetizer recipes in our arsenal, and here's why they deserve a spot in every Southerner's spread:

1. You can forget about them (for about 1 1/2 hours, that is).

There's no pulling-out-of-the-oven, basting, rotating, flipping, or mid-bake seasoning with this simplistic recipe. Once you've wrapped your crackers, you have an hour and a half of cooktime to go deal with the many other Christmas things that are going on in your home. You can prepare these right before the party, too; they only need 5 minutes to sit before serving.

2. They're inexpensive to make.

The perks of a two-ingredient recipe means that you only need to purchase a couple items, and you're ready to roll. Rectangle-shaped buttery crackers can be found anywhere that groceries are sold, and bacon is almost always on sale this time of year. Grab it at Publix on BOGO, and double your recipe for very little cost.

3. They're easy to eat.

Forgo the little plates on the appetizer table needed for messy, saucy appetizers. Guests will love being able to munch casually on these Bacon Bow Tie Crackers without spilling any barbecue sauce on their holiday attire. And, as they're seriously addictive, it's a dish that'll fly off the table.

There's a reason our readers love bookmarking the Bacon Bow Tie Crackers recipe; this appetizer is fun, festive, and a continual crowd-pleaser.