Olga's Snackers are our Favorite! Try these Pita Snackers Like Olgas
Does anyone else like the “Snackers” at Olga’s Kitchen? That’s really one of the only “bad” restaurants I’ll still go to once or twice a year, but I’m thinking that those days are done now, too, like all the other gross places that don’t even sound good anymore. This was what put me over the edge: I stopped a couple weeks ago and got their “Snackers”, and when our son and I both got a terrible headache soon after eating them, I looked it up and found out they have MSG (a nerve toxin-ingredient that's in most processed foods). Why was I surprised? Wishful thinking? Sometimes I like not knowing. That's bad, I know…
So once again, I decided to make them myself.
And by the way, for someone who is often accused of being too much in the low-carb camp, I sure seem to post plenty of recipes with grains or sweets, don’t you think? (Probably because I’m super sporadic with my own low-carb habits.) These recipes are always with healthier ingredients than your typical recipes, though, and here’s another one for you.
Pita Snackers like Olga's Kitchen:
Instructions:
- I started out with this homemade tortilla recipe, with two additions, as I tried to get it to taste just like Olga bread: an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt and an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup of palm or coconut sugar. (UPDATE: see my Olga bread copycat recipe here!)
- I finally tried out my new tortilla press. I was thoroughly unimpressed with it. It’s great if you’re only making pita bread like I wanted for this recipe, which is basically just a thicker tortilla. But when I wanted to press the rest of them really flat to use in these fast food tortilla recipes this week, I had to finish them off using my big heavy rolling pin. So I’m glad I only spent about $12 on it.(It could well be a case of, “You get what you pay for.” If you really truly have a press that gets your tortillas SUPER FLAT without loads of elbow grease and time, please let me know your brand in the comments.)
- So anyway, for this recipe, don’t flatten it out as much as you would for a tortilla, just leave it a little more thick, like pita bread. Fry in an ungreased pan (I use my favorite pan) on medium-low heat for a couple minutes on both sides until the bubbles start to brown a little. (I use lower heat than what I use for the tortillas since it takes longer for the thicker dough to get done all the way through.)
- When they’re done, brush with plenty of melted butter.
- Sprinkle with your desired spices. Here’s what we used:
- a very light sprinkle of ground red pepper (this gives it a zip, omit it if you don’t like a bit of a spicy bite)
- a sprinkle of organic seasoned salt
- a sprinkle of a spice I found in my cupboard called ‘crushed peppercorn garlic rub’. Don’t worry if you don’t have that. Just use what you have: garlic powder, paprika, a little chili powder…
- Sprinkle a little of this or that, and experiment with what you like!
- Use a pizza cutter to slice into whatever shape that your family or your guests will go for.
- These ones really even LOOK like Olga’s Snackers, don’t you think?! They tasted like them almost exactly, especially when I got the amount of red pepper just right.
- Serve warm if possible, and enjoy!
- Note: next time I'll try sprinkling this on top too to get even closer to the real thing! I'll let you know…
- Tomorrow for supper I’m using the tortillas I made today for steak quesadillas – find out more about what to look for so you know you’re eating safe, healthy meat!
What about the Swiss almond cheese that comes with the Olga's Snackers?
Sorry guys, I can't stand that stuff so I didn't even try to recreate that part. If you like it and you did a recreation, please feel free to share in the comments!
Did you try these pita snackers like Olgas? Please let us know how you like them in the comments!
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Charlie says
Being a huge fan of Olga’s Kitchen, I have found numerous blogs and “secret recipe” sites that have a good recipe for Olga bread. This blog uses the recipe printed by the Detroit Free Press a number of years ago:
motherskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/11/olgas-kitchen-bread.html
To the best of my knowledge, Olga’s uses McCormick “Pinch Perfect” Salad Supreme as the seasoning for the Snackers. I have a bottle myself and no MSG is listed. However, if you would rather make your own, this blog has what appears to be a pretty good copycat recipe:
https://pamsmidwestkitchenkorner.blogspot.com/2011/07/home-made-salad-supreme-seasoning.html
Hope this helps!
Courtney says
If you make the tortillas in a fryer and mix a seasoning with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, cayenne powder, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, and salt and pepper. To make it taste exactly like Olgas Snackers with the seasoning and cheese, pour parmesian cheese on top. The most easy way to make snacker with just tortillas and it taste remarkably exact!
KitchenKop says
Mmmmm, that sounds good! But how do you “pour” parmesan cheese on top?
Courtney says
i say pour because i like a whole bunch on top! lol its super easy i make these everyday.. I also make some and put honey cinnamon sugar and chocolate syrup on top to make sopapillas! mmm
Genet says
Sure there are naturally occurring glutamate. There are also naturally occurring nitrates. I have to say that these naturally occurring compounds don’t really bother me nearly as much as the synthetic ones. And since we have a hard time telling the natural and the synthetic ones apart just based on labels, I will avoid all I can too, Kelly!
BTW, I’ve never heard of Olga’s ? ? ? ? Are these served with a dip or sauce of any kind ? Thinking these would be yummy with my favorite zucchini hummus !
🙂
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Hi Genet!
It always came with this cheese spread that I thought was yucky. They *would* be good with some homemade hummus! 🙂
Kel
maynard s grey says
msg is umami. Perhaps you’ve heard of the additional taste beyond sweet, sour, etc. People don’t get headaches from msg. It’s all a media driven expose. Should be an accent on the e but keyboard doesn’t do that. msg is known to enhance flavor receptors and glutamates are healthy.
KitchenKop says
It makes too many people very sick to assume it’s innocent. I’ll continue to avoid all MSG for us and our kids!
Kelly
Sonya says
Hi Kelly, I tried your updated version of tortillas with half white flour and half wheat, LOVED the recipe. Thanks! I did have trouble getting the tortillas rolled out with flour and getting them transferred into the pan flat to cook. I enlisted the help of my brilliant husband who decided to roll them out between two pieces of parchment paper which worked awesome to get them as thin as we wanted. He used a pastry roller to keep them more round instead of the big rolling pin, and then peeled one side of the parchment off and turn the dough side down into the pan. When he got it positioned right he peeled the top parchment paper off and violla, perfectly flat tortillas! Thanks for the recipe!
Rachel says
I know this question is totally unrelated to this post, but I am so interested in finding out if you have any insight for me. I have tried to use my pressure cooker as often as possible because I’ve read that it 1. preserves nutrients because of its shorter cooking time 2. preserves taste because of the shorter cooking time and 3. of course it is just plain less of my time. So, a friend just told me the other day that she actually avoids using her pressure cooker because she has read that because of the high heat used the nutrients are actually damaged/loss at a higher rate than just plain stove top cooking. She feels this is especially true about beans and chicken stock, but also grains. I haven’t been able to find anything that can answer this question – do you have any information on it to send my way? Thanks so much!
KitchenKop says
I’ll put it up on Facebook tomorrow and we’ll see what we get for good info there! 🙂
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Rachel,
Did I ever do this?! I don’t think I did, I’m sorry!! I’ll do it this week for sure!
Kelly
Megan says
I got one too, and was also very unimpressed. It’s been back to the rolling pin at my house!
Diana says
For corn tortillas, I use a 9×9 pyrex pan and smoosh them out. It’s easier than a rolling pin. But for flour tortillas, I do use the rolling pin and it’s not too bad. I’d love to find a recommendation for a good press, though! The pita chips sound great 🙂
Rosebud says
I bought one too, and was equally unimpressed with it. Here’s why…turns out they’re made mostly for corn tortillas, which press easier than flour. They also press unevenly, thinner at one edge than the other. I’ve stopped bothering with it and just use my rolling pin.