Food and Recipes Recipes Shrimp on Seasoned Crackers with Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese 4.7 (3) 3 Reviews Step up your cracker game this year. By Adam Evans Adam Evans Chef Adam Evans opened his first restaurant, Automatic Seafood & Oysters, in Birmingham, Alabama, in April 2019 (already earning national recognition as one of both Esquire's and Thrillist's Best New Restaurants in America for 2019). The restaurant, named for the building's past life as an Automatic Sprinkler Corporation manufacturing facility, is located in the Lakeview neighborhood of Birmingham. Working directly with local vendors, markets, and fisheries, Chef Evans' menu features simple, high-quality seafood dishes, primarily sourced from the Gulf, which he combines with bold flavors and classic technique. Comfortable, elegant, and classic, the space at Automatic lends itself to a coastal setting — not speaking directly to one specific body of water or region, but drawing inspiration from all shorelines. Previously, the Muscle Shoals, AL native made his mark on Atlanta's culinary landscape through his signature seafood dishes at The Optimist. In 2015, Adam opened Atlanta's Brezza Cucina with Chef Jonathan Waxman, and in 2017 he returned home to Birmingham, AL with the goal of opening his dream restaurant with his wife, interior designer Suzanne Humphries Evans. Follow him on Instagram. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on November 9, 2020 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Active Time: 20 mins Stand Time: 30 mins Total Time: 50 mins Servings: 8 Jump to recipe Forget about cheese and crackers: This holiday season, we'll be having our crackers with shrimp, cream cheese, and pepper jelly, thank you very much. This recipe for Shrimp on Seasoned Crackers with Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese comes to us from Adam Evans, chef at award-winning Birmingham restaurant Automatic Seafood and Oysters. Pepper jelly and cream cheese on crackers was one of Evans' favorite holiday snacks as a kid. Now, he adds pan-fried shrimp for a fancy upgrade. While this fun, flavor-packed party snack may look fancy, it's remarkably simple to prepare. The South is no stranger to gussied-up saltines (check out our fan-favorite recipe for Alabama Fire Crackers); in this recipe, basic saltine crackers get a boost of flavor with a symphony of spices (you might want to make a double-batch: They taste just as great on their own). The shrimp are pan-fried until just done, 4-6 minutes, and tossed in an herby, lemony dressing. From there, it's time to assemble. The cream cheese helps meld all the flavors together and the pepper jelly brings a nice sweetness, brightening up the appetizer. These adorable, bite-sized snacks are easy to prepare ahead of time and assemble right before guests arrive. Talk about a holiday treat. Ingredients Seasoned Crackers 1 sleeve saltine crackers (about 35) ¼ cup olive oil 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper ½ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon black pepper Shrimp 24 jumbo peeled, deveined raw shrimp (about 1 lb.) 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish Additional Ingredients ½ cup cream cheese, at room temperature ¼ cup red pepper jelly, at room temperature Directions Prepare the Seasoned Crackers: Stack crackers upright (as they are packaged in the sleeve) in an airtight container in a single layer. Whisk remaining 6 ingredients in a bowl; pour mixture evenly over all crackers. Put lid on container; let stand 10 minutes. Flip container; let stand 10 minutes. Repeat until oil and seasoning have soaked into crackers, about an additional 10 minutes. Prepare the Shrimp: Stir together shrimp, salt, and pepper in a bowl until evenly coated. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Arrange shrimp in 1 layer inside skillet. Cook until shrimp just turn pink and firm, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a large bowl; cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Add parsley, lemon juice, chives, and dill; stir together until shrimp are evenly coated. Arrange 24 seasoned crackers on a platter. (Reserve remaining crackers for another use.) Spread 1 teaspoon cream cheese on each cracker. Top each cracker with 1 shrimp, and spoon ½ teaspoon pepper jelly onto each shrimp. Garnish with additional herbs. Serve immediately. Print