Garden-fresh tomatoes combine with saltine crackers, mayo (y’all know Duke’s is my brand of choice), and some salt and pepper to create a dish that my family has been enjoying for as long as I can remember. If you love the flavors of the classic tomato sandwich, then chances are you’re going to love this too.
This dish is best served immediately. The water content of the tomatoes and the mayo turn this dish soggy fast, so I like to make this at the absolute last minute. But it’s super quick to toss together, so that’s not usually a problem.
Sometimes I’ll cut up my tomatoes and spread them out on paper towels just to allow them to wick a little moisture out to buy a little more time.
My mom never seeded a tomato. Ever. But I find this to be better without the seeds. It’s an extra step, but I think it’s worth it. But you do you. 🙂
Fresh, in-season tomatoes are best in this. Heirloom tomatoes are even better.
Tomato Cracker Salad
Ingredients
- 4 medium garden-fresh tomatoes
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 1 sleeve saltine crackers, coarsely broken
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Seed and coarsely chop the tomatoes. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes and and mayonnaise. Add the broken crackers and toss lightly to coat. Add salt and generous amounts of black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
I must admit, I was very curious about this recipe. But because I had saltines and tomatoes that I needed to use up, I have it a try. I love it! Simplistic wonderfully dry ghtful! Everyone should try thus! A wonderful surprise!
That was fast! SO glad you enjoyed it, JoAnn!!
We have made this “Cracker Salad” in the low country for years . It’s the best served with Frogmore Stew! We do add chopped onion and in the summer the Valdalias.
As I said before, my mom has been making it for as long as I can remember. She did spend some time in South Carolina. I wonder if she picked it up there. I’ve also heard it called Georgia Cracker salad. Who knows! I just call it delicious! 🙂
My mother made this, feeding farm hands that help us gather crops every summer. It was cheep and feeling . And we all loved it. Umum. That was 75 years ago.
These humble dishes are often our favorites!
Please tell me about your Frogmore stew. I haven’t ever heard of it. But, this cracker salad is new to me too. I can almost taste it. Thanks
I would like to know too. Thank you.
My Daddy who is from South Georgia also added boiled eggs, and sweet pickle relish! Yummy!
I’ve heard several folks mention that. 🙂
Lowcountry Boil Recipe
4 pounds small red potatoes
5 quarts water
1 (3-ounce) bag of crab boil seasoning (Zatarain’s)
4 Tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
2 pounds kielbasa or hot smoked link sausage, cut into 1½-inch pieces
6 ears of corn, halved
4 pounds large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined optional
Cocktail sauce
Add potatoes to large pot, then add 5 quarts water and seasonings.
Cover pot and heat to a rolling boil; cook 5 minutes.
Add sausage and corn, and return to a boil.
Cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Add shrimp to stockpot; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.
Drain.
Serve with cocktail sauce.
Serves 12.
(Adapted from Southern Living, August 2002 and Real Simple, August 2001)
What on earth is Frogmore Stew? 🙂
I looked up Frogmore Stew and it seems like another name for the Low Country boil. I am sure this salad would be great with Frogmore stew!
Such an interesting recipe. I’ve not seen anything like this before. It is almost prime local tomato season here in Northern California and I’m excited to do this one. Thanks!
p.s. I do the same thing with tomatoes – I cut ahead of time and let drain on paper towels. And take the seeds out!
I sure hope you’ll enjoy it, Diana!
Need spellcheck! Sorry meant WONDERFULLY DELIGHTFUL! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!
I LOVE tomato sandwiches and this sounds even better! Now that our nest is empty, a loaf of bread goes stale before we eat it so I just don’t buy it much anymore. But, I always have saltines on hand!! Perfect!
I sure hope you’ll enjoy, Brenda!!
OK. So I thought I was the only person in the world who indulged in this delicious recipe. Truly! We too ate it all the time growing up. My Mom swore it originated in the area where she grew up (western NC). She had stories to tell about having the tomatoes right from the garden, making this salad and having fried baloney. They were very poor. Sometimes they didn’t have the mayo, just tomatoes, crackers, salt and pepper! Thanks for bringing it up to everyone again!
My family has humble beginnings as well and I imagine this dish was originally a product of that. I’ve also heard it called Georgia Cracker Salad, so who knows where it came from! I’m just glad we have it! 🙂
I love tomatoes and I love Miracle Whip spread on crackers so this should be good.
I bet you’ll love this!
I have never had this salad but would to make it . Unfortunately , I would be the only one eating it.My son does not like fresh tomatoes. My husband could not eat it because it would drive his blood sugar sky high with the crackers in it
This recipes scales down perfectly. Enjoy!
For diabetics (like me)…you could make a much smaller version.
a few crackers and grape tomatoes sliced in half. Just make sure the
remainder of the meal is low-carb. A few crackers aren’t going to drive
your blood glucose too much, especially if you eat lots of fiber with
the meal. I might add some fresh spinach to the mix. Mayo is ok…and a few
tomatoes are ok. I will definitely try this. It will be worth a bit of insulin to
give it a try! Thanks so much for posting!
Great suggestions! Thanks for jumping in to help!
I am a diabetic also. As for the spike in blood sugar because of the crackers is offset by the fats in the mayo (Dukes for sure). The fat slows down the rate of carb uptake. Check with your Endocrinologist. That’s what mine told me. How much it affects it? I don’t know and still would not overdo it.
My husband LOVES fresh tomatoes, but I doubt he’d try this. I’m not crazy about tomatoes, but this intrigues me and I’m gonna try it! I think I’ll love it. 🙂 Aren’t we strange with our eating habits?
I totally understand. We all have our hangups. Maybe you’ll both enjoy this! 🙂
I love saltines with a little mayonnaise and fresh cut tomatoes. I have never thought to make a salad! Oh my goodness! What a wonderful recipe! Thank you so much for sharing this!
When I was a kid, my mom would also smear a little mayo on saltines and top with a piece of cheese. Love it! Still do! I sure hope you’ll enjoy this!
Ever tried crackers with mayo and a sliced dill pickle on top? It’s delicious!!
No, but you’d better believe I’m having that for lunch today! Love me some pickles!
I have mayo & cheese on saltines whenever I open a can of sardines or vienna sausage. Btw, i’m from GA. & get teased about my wierd food concoctions. Can’t believe i’ve never had this one & can’t wait to try it !
I sure hope you’ll enjoy it!
Thanks for posting this. My mom made this yummy salad when I was growing up in Savannah. She also had a winter version (sort of) that was a can of chopped tomatoes with a pat of butter, salt & pepper and white bread toast torn into pieces and she heated it all in a sauce pan.
You are so welcome, Debbie!
I don’t eat fresh tomatoes, mostly because of the seeds. I just don’t like seeds in anything. I didn’t know you could seed them! I think I’m gonna try this! Thank you, Stacey!
I always seed tomatoes because I just don’t care for them. To make it easy, I just slice the top off and poke my fingers down in each cavity over the trash can and the seeds squirt right out. Hope you’ll enjoy!
I have made this a lot. However, I make it by combing mayonnaise, sweet pickles boiled eggs and a little pickle juice together with the tomatoes. Let it chill for awhile in the fridge. just before serving add the crackers to this mixture with salt and pepper. This will have the cracker crispy and the coolness makes the salad real fresh tasting.
this is just my way.
Love hearing everyone’s variations. Thanks for sharing!
My granmother added bacon crumbles to hers! Love this!
Love that addition!
Make this all the time but also add chopped-up boiled eggs. A favorite at our house. It is best if you wait right before you eat it to put in the crackers. I always do it when we sit down. So good and crunchy that way.
Yes, this is definitely best served immediately.
Being Italian and from the north my grandma would make a salad that was similar to this but instead of crackers would add crumbled up pepper biscuits idk if every one know what they are or if there a new England thing but the taste is amazing and it doesn’t get soggy as fast…we also add them to soup for the same reasons instead of crackers
I definitely need to know more about these pepper biscuits!
For got the boiled eggs and green onions
I’ve heard from a few people who add it, but my mom always did it this way without those additions.
Instead of sweet pickles or relish, you could put sliced cucumbers in your tomato salad.
Well, this sounds good! Maybe add some cooked bacon and serve over some torn or shredded lettuce. I might have to try this. I am sure I would be the only one eating it tho. Hubby doesn’t like mayo and son doesn’t like tomatoes. I’ll just have to cut the recipe down. thanks!!
This pare’s down pretty well. Hope you enjoy it!
Did you know that Duke and Sauer’s mayonnaise is made by the same company. Look on your Duke label and you will see that it is made by Sauers. Sauers is much cheaper and just as good. Thought I would let you know. The same tomato dish topped with butter and baked for a while becomes scalloped tomatoes and is great, too.
I did know that and use Sauer’s often. It’s not exactly the same but close enough for the price. 🙂
Oh My Goodness! I had forgotten all about this recipe. My husband and daughter do not eat tomatoes or mayo so it got off my scope but I will make some just for me as soon as my tomatoes ripen. I am a south Georgia girl and always heard it called Georgia Tomato-Cracker salad. My parents were from South Alabama and my grandmother always made it. No way to tell where it is from but it sure is good. My family always added Vidalia onions and a squeeze of Lemon juice.
I’m with you. You can all it whatever you want, just don’t forget to call me when it’s ready! Love the addition of those sweet Vidalias and lemon!
My mom makes this salad. But she adds bell pepper to the tomatoes. She adds the crackers just before serving so it will not be soggy.
Yep, that’s the trick. You have to ass them right before serving it. Love the addition of bell peppers.
I make something similar. I peel tomatoes(or not),scoop out the inside,then mix with crackers and mayonnaise and stuff back into the tomato shell!
Yum! Great idea!
I wonder if I can use club crackers since that’s what I have in my cupboard. Going to give it a try.
I much prefer the saltines because of the flavor, but have heard from several folks that they enjoyed it with the Club crackers.
Oh yum! I love tomatoes. But my mom would make breaded tomatoes for my dad with canned tomatoes. I wouldn’t eat them. But this sounds so good to me with the mayo and crunchy crackers! Can’t wait for my tomatoes to ripen and try this! Thank you!
I’ve heard a lot about the stewed tomatoes with bread after this post! I hope you’ll try this and absolutely love it!
Never heard of such a thing but I don’t think we’re going to be strangers for long. Thanks for a wonderful “new” recipe.
I sure hope you’ll enjoy it, Suellen!
Google Shockingly Sweet Stewed Tomatoes. I never would eat my Mom’s stewed tomatoes but these are wonderful.
There are several recipes for this.
I made this tonight and it is delicious. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it!!!
I make this salad, started over 10 years ago. My coworkers knew my love of fresh tomato’s and made this for me but with 1 added ingredient chopped green onions too. I said that looks gross but I tried it and fell in love!!!!!! The taste is awesome. I have been making it ever since then, anyone who has not tried this needs to it will be a new favorite.
I couldn’t agree more! This tastes like so much more than tomatoes, crackers, and mayo!
My husband prefers Miracle Whip. Does that work out okay or does it ruin the flavor?
I’ve never tried it with Miracle Whip, so I can say for sure, but I just don’t think it would be the same.
Using pomodoro/plum tomatoes will contribute less moisture. Using pepper crackers and a buttermilk salad dressing will reduce prep time.
Thanks for the insight!
I have got to try this! My husband loves crumbled corn bread with petite diced tomatoes with the juice and a scoop of mayo all mixed up together. Looks awful but absolutely wonderful. I may try this since I don’t always feel like making cornbread.
I sure hope he’ll enjoy it!
My daughter and I have been making this for several years and absolutely love it! So when I decided to make it for my brother and nephew recently they were very hesitant, but being good sports they agreed to try it. Needless to say, they loved it, and asked me to make more.
It seems so simple, but it’s so good! 🙂
Reminds me of a dish called Tomatoes and Cheez-its that my friends and I secretly enjoy 🙂
🙂
Oh my goodness! Found this recipe while scrolling Pinterest in the wee hours of yesterday morning and as soon as it was time for breakfast went straight to the kitchen and chopped up two small garden tomatoes from the last of a friend’s harvest and made this salad for me and ONLY me (son doesn’t care much for tomatoes and hubs doesn’t love mayo). I ate EVERY bite and it was sublime! I told my 83-year old mother-in-law about it at lunch yesterday, and she said, “Oh! That sounds like something I’d like!” So I guess you have TWO more converts! I’m going to call this “White Trash Panzanella!” 😝 How has I never heard of this before?!
I LOVE that name! Glad y’all enjoyed it!!
Hey! I was going to say that Italians have something like this but with dry, stale bread. I couldn’t remember the name, but that’s it- panzanella!
Also, I think there are such things as whole-grain saltines, and unsalted-top saltines. That might make it more doable for special diets.
LOL!! I never knew there was an actual recipe for this! I eat this all the time when I don’t want a heavy meal but yet something to fill my tummy with goodness. Sometimes I will add chopped English cucumber and dill weed (dried or fresh). Now THAT is my favorite! Oh, if you have a little cottage cheese that needs to be used up but not enough for a recipe then that, too, is a tasty addition. 🙂
Ha! Love the idea of the chopped cucumber!
Has anyone tried using greek yogurt in place of the mayo? I’m not a big mayo fan. 😕
In the tonato cracker salad, can i add cucumber, onion, and bacon bits and still keep the flavor. Love this
You can certainly add it, but it will change the overall flavor
This was so good! Thanks for posting this fabulous recipe, I hooked now.
So glad you enjoyed it!!
This recipe is amazing I have made it for years and it’s perfect!
Thanks so much!!! Glad you like it!
I might add just a little ranch dressing (from the powdered packet) to the mayo.
I think that sounds pretty delish!
It was great seeing you at the Farmer’s Market. Glad you are in Prattville! I’ll have to try this recipe.
So great to meet you! Thanks for stopping by!
I can’t beleive I’m just now finding out about this simple wonderfully delicious recipe! I made it last nite to go with supper & hubby & I both loved it! Thanx so much for sharing that! Looking forward to more of your recipes.
So glad y’all enjoyed it so much!
Serve cold?
It’s more of a “serve immediately” thing, so I would say room temp.
Looking for recipes with few ingredients for our food pantry clients. Excited to find this. Will definitely print it for them.
How wonderful! Thank you for sharing it with them.
We had this with home grown tomatoes. It was delicious. Going to have it again tonight. Thanks so much for this recipe. I really like your site.
Thanks so much, Nelda!! Glad you enjoyed it!
Just watched your video for this recipe. Enjoyed it! I had this bookmarked earlier to make someday… I’ll make it Saturday because Farmer’s Market is then and the tomatoes have been coming out here in Northern California.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Diana! Hope you’ll enjoy the recipe too!!
Enjoyed the video. I shared the recipe on Facebook. Sounds so simple and tasty! I have been raised on cornbread and beans by southern family and never tried this?! How does that happen? By the way, my hubby makes the cornbread recipe you have in your Southern Bite cookbook and it never fails to please!
So glad y’all have gotten some great use out of that recipe! And you’ve just GOT to try this one!