Ritz Cracker Party Sandwiches

If you’re looking for a quick, easy and popular appetizer made with simple ingredients and minimal prep, these Ritz cracker sandwiches are a solid go-to. They’re warm, melty, a little buttery, and perfect for parties.

While you can mix up what you use inside, traditionally I use ham, Swiss cheese, and a Dijon garlic butter topping to bring everything together. The result is salty, cheesy, and bite after bite addictive. Scroll below for the entire recipe!

Whether you’re prepping for a potluck or need something easy to serve alongside sliders and dips, this is one of those recipes you’ll want to bookmark.

Ingredients

• 48 Ritz butter crackers
• 8–10 slices ham (standard lunch meat, not thin-sliced)
• 6 slices Swiss cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Poppy seeds

How to make Ritz Cracker Sandwiches for Parties

Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. Place 24 crackers, top side down, in a single layer in a baking dish.
2. Using a 2-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut the ham into 24 rounds. Place one ham round on each cracker.
3. Cut each cheese slice into 4 rounds (using the same cutter) and place one piece on top of the ham.
4. Top each sandwich with another Ritz cracker.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, Dijon mustard, and garlic powder.
6. Use a pastry brush to coat the tops of the cracker sandwiches with the butter mixture.
7. Sprinkle poppy seeds over each sandwich.
8. Bake for 12 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Helpful Tips from my Kitchen

The butter softens the crackers a little bit in the oven, but there’s still a nice crunch when you bite in. I used a 2-inch cutter that matched the crackers pretty well, nothing fancy, just a round biscuit cutter is the perfect size.

If you do not have a round cutter, this is a great set. <—click that to see the one on amazon. Perfect for these types of recipes.

If you do not know, you can get smaller slices of ham versus using deli. The ones I get at the store are labeled “biscuit slices” and come in a 12-oz package. If you haven’t seen those before, they’re thicker than deli meat and hold their shape well when cut.

For the cheese, one slice made four of my 2 inch rounds.

How to reheat leftovers

These cracker sandwiches are best served warm, but if you end up with leftovers, they reheat well in the air fryer. A quick 1–2 minutes at 350°F brings the crunch back without drying it out too much.

More Ritz Cracker Recipes

If you’ve got an open box of Ritz in the pantry, here are a few more ideas to round out your appetizer or snack table:

• Brown Sugar Bacon Crackers – Sweet, salty, and oven-baked until perfectly crisp.
• Pickle Cookies – A fan favorite, this quirky little snack is made with Ritz, pickles, and cream cheese.
• Saltine Toffee Candy – Not Ritz, but still a cracker-based favorite and a great make-ahead treat.
• Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball – Sweet, creamy, and perfect spread over a stack of buttery crackers.

What to Serve These With

These little sandwiches hold their own, but they’re even better when part of a full party spread.

Try pairing them with my ham and cheese sliders or no ranch buffalo chicken dip for a mix of hot appetizers everyone can grab and go.

When people search “what appetizers can be made with Ritz crackers,” they’re usually looking for something easy that doesn’t taste like a shortcut. These fit the bill.

Great for game day, holidays, or any get-together where finger food is the star. Save this recipe for this fall’s parties right here on Pinterest!