Got crackers? You’re ready for guests

Planning for a crowd this holiday? Grab a box of woven wheats.

That’s the generic name for Triscuits, those kind-of-weirdly-woven-esque wheat crackers that are delightfully salty-crunchy-savoury. This year, I’ve decided they are the perfect on-demand base upon which to build any number of crowd-pleasing holiday appetizers at the last minute. Because none of us has time for elaborate apps.

It works like this. Line a baking sheet with foil. Coat foil with cooking spray. Cover tray with woven wheat crackers. Top crackers with delicious stuff. Bake at 400 F for about 10 minutes. Serve. Done.

To help get you rolling, here is a simple recipe for my fave variant:

Triscuits with Dates and Bacon MAKES 16 APPETIZERS

16 dates, pitted

3 ounces manchego cheese, cut into wedges (each about the size of half a date)

16 Triscuit crackers

8 slices bacon, each cut in half crosswise

Ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 400 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Use a paring knife to cut open the dates, remove the pit (if necessary), then wedge a chunk of cheese into each. Set each date on a cracker, then wrap half a slice of bacon around the entire thing, overlapping the ends of the bacon on the underside of the cracker. Arrange the assembled crackers on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with pepper, then bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bacon is starting to crisp. Cool slightly before serving.