Shrimp on Seasoned Crackers with Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese

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.