March Madness: Snack Time
March 14, 2014
Whenever watching my team play in the NCAA basketball tournament, I get the munchies. I think it is from nerves! Rather than eating handfuls of plain ole mixed nuts, here are several snack mix recipes to enjoy. There are so many ways to make a snack mix and a variety of ingredients to try. Consider mixing in popcorn, shoestring potatoes, Cheez-its, or rye crisps for different textures and crunch!
Original Snack Mix
Ingredients:
- 3 cups Corn Chex cereal
- 3 cups Rice Chex cereal
- 3 cups Wheat Chex cereal
- 1 cup mixed nuts
- 1 cup bite-size pretzels
- 1 cup garlic flavored bite-size bagel chips or regular-size bagel chips, broken into 1 inch pieces
- 6 tbsp butter or margarine
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ tsp seasoned salt
- ¾ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
Microwave Directions:
- In large microwavable bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on high about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings.
- Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.
- Microwave uncovered on high 5 to 6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes.
- Spread on paper towels to cool.
- Store in airtight container.
Oven Directions:
- Heat oven to 250°F.
- In large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside.
- In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in cereal mixture until evenly coated.
- Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes.
- Store in airtight container.
Spicy Snack Mix
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/4 tsp seasoned salt
- 2 to 3 tsp red pepper sauce
- 3 cups Corn Chex cereal
- 3 cups Rice Chex cereal
- 3 cups Wheat Chex cereal
- 1 cup mixed nuts
- 1 cup pretzels
- 1 cup bite-size cheese crackers
Directions
- Heat oven to 250°F.
- In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt and pepper sauce.
- Gradually stir in remaining ingredients until evenly coated.
- Bake uncovered 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes.
- Store in airtight container.
Sweet Snack Mix
Ingredients
- 1 12 ounce package crispy corn and rice cereal
- 5 ounces slivered almonds
- 6 ounces toasted, chopped pecans
- ¾ cup butter
- ¾ cup dark corn syrup
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
- Lightly grease a large roasting pan.
- In a large bowl, mix crispy corn and rice cereal, slivered almonds and toasted, chopped pecans.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and mix with dark corn syrup and light brown sugar. Pour the mixture over the crispy corn and rice cereal mixture. Stir and shake to coat all the nuts and cereal.
- Pour the coated mixture into the prepared roasting pan.
- Cook 1 hour, stirring approximately every 15 minutes.
- Cool on paper towels.
- Store in airtight containers.
Add m&m’s or similar candy to the mixture after it has cooled.
So, let the madness of March begin. You will be prepared to sit back and relax – or not, if the case may be – and snack to your hearts content.