Holiday Goodies: Snack Mix
Homemade snack mix is a fantastic treat to have on hand for holiday snack attacks and road trips. This mix is relatively easy to eat on the go and, unlike a lot of other snacks you find this time of year, it isn’t overly greasy or rich. A touch of spices and butter helps this mix toast up into a crunchy treat.
Start out by pouring 4 cups of your favorite unsweetened breakfast cereal into a bowl. We’ve found that light, corn- or rice-based cereals work best, but you can use just about anything that strikes your fancy. Add two cups each of sesame sticks, mini pretzels, cheese pretzels and rye bagel chips. Stir in about 1 cup of roasted golden chickpeas and about 2 cups of Supreme Roasted Mixed Nuts.
Melt a stick of butter in a saucepan, then add 2 to 4 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce to the pan. Season the butter with your favorite herbs and spices. We like to add a dash of hot sauce, along with about 2 tsp. of garlic salt, 1 tsp. of onion powder and a pinch of Cajun seasoning. Other great seasonings include fresh chopped garlic, seasoned salt, cumin and chili powder. Taste the butter mixture to make sure the flavors are balanced. The flavor will be more concentrated straight out of the pot than when it’s spread on the snack mix, so don’t worry if it’s a bit salty or strong.
Pour the butter mixture into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and gently toss the snack mix until it’s evenly coated. Spread the snack mix on two cookie sheets and bake it at 250 degrees Fahrenheit (stirring it every 15 minutes or so) until it’s toasty and brown, which should take 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Let the snack mix cool completely, then store it in an airtight container for up to a week.
Don’t like some of the ingredients listed here, or just don’t have them on hand? No problem! Experiment with the snack mix until you find the combination of ingredients that you like best. What are some of your favorite ingredients to use in snack mix?
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