I originally published this post on the blog in August, 2015. For my parents’ recent birthday dinner, I made this dish, since our whole family loves Cod, and I’m sharing it again, in hopes of inspiring YOU to make it!
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Baked Cod topped with buttery Ritz crackers and fresh lemon juice is one of the quintessential dishes of New England and it’s one of my favorites. It’s especially yummy on a chilly or damp evening, and it’s also an escape from all those grilled and healthily prepared dishes we try to eat most of the time. I’ve even heard it described as “soul-satisfying,” which is spot-on.
This is an easy recipe which only requires a few ingredients, and it works with any white, flaky fish.
I haven’t been able to confirm how the recipe originated, but I’ve learned that Ritz crackers have been around for 84 years! Apparently they were initially marketed as a “taste of affordable luxury” (hmmmm. . .) and you might even recall their old marketing campaign of “Anytime is the right time to serve Ritz!” I do love them 🙂
This dish always brings me back to my childhood.
I hope you give it a try.
- 1 lb. Cod (or any white, flaky fish)
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed lightly (you could use less, but I like lots of crumbs)
- 1-2 Tb. unsalted butter, room temperature (for the casserole dish)
- 3 Tb. unsalted butter, melted
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Rinse fish, pat dry with a paper towel and cut into medium portion sizes.
- Butter a medium casserole dish (big enough to fit all the pieces) with the softened butter.
- Lightly salt & pepper each piece of fish and place into the buttered dish.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine crushed crackers and melted butter; sprinkle over the fish.
- Place casserole dish into oven and bake about 25-30 minutes, until fish is no longer opaque and the cracker topping is nicely browned.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and enjoy!
It’s true! Such a delicious comfort food. We really enjoyed our birthday celebration, celebrated with our little family and this wonderful food.
It was the perfect dish to celebrate your birthdays! I wish I could eat this casserole every week, but I’m afraid my waistline would not approve 🙂
Yumthat buttery crunchy lid! Maybe this is how I can get Bill to eat fish! Thanks Nicole
I think Bill would like this dish 🙂
Sorry cod
I so want to post this because I love card is there any substitution for Ritz crackers if you read the ingredients you might not love them so much
I hear you, Susan! For those of us who try to eat all healthy ingredients, what’s inside these crackers may give us pause, but once in a while they just taste SO darned good 🙂 It’s worth a try to use some gluten free or whole grain crackers, but definitely don’t skimp on the butter!