Introducing Holiday Snack Mix. I mean, what’s the holidays without a little snack mix and what’s a snack mix without a little holiday? This recipe combines the best of both worlds.
Having crucial ingredients on hand is really sort of…crucial. Which is why I try not to let too many ingredients fall into that “crucial” category. I have lots of ways to replicate the role of several ingredients in any given recipe. This is all thanks to my desire to limit my number of trips to the grocery store to 3 in any given day. When the cashier starts to know you by name, it just gets weird. That’s all I can say about that.
Take, for example, onion powder. This recipe calls for some of that. The fact that the contents of my little cylinder of onion powder looked more like a chunk of sandstone than powder had me a bit more than concerned. How long had it been since I bought that stuff? Let’s see. I remember my mom giving me some onion powder when I was home from college once. Do you think? No! But the cylinder was telling me otherwise.
Does onion powder have an expiration date?
Who could I get to take a taste test to find out?
Where’s that pesky dog Coco when I need him? Probably off napping somewhere. What a life!
I had to cry defeat. The onion powder was past its prime to put it nicely.
Not be deterred, I grabbed my Costco canister of dehydrated chopped onions and my spice grinder and went to town. A few seconds later? Voila! Onion powder. It’s good to think on your feet. Oh, and it’s good to have power tools on-hand as well (thank you spice grinder!).
That’s what I love about cooking. Creative problem solving and power tools. What can I say? I grew up in a small town.
Holiday Snack Mix
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup dairy-free margarine
- 4 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce (I use Annie’s)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder (or dehydrated onions pulverized in a spice grinder)
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 9 cups Chex mix of your choosing (rice, corn, or wheat)*
- 1 cup peanuts
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 1 cup soy nuts
- 1/2 cup pistachios
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
* Make this recipe gluten-free by using only corn and rice Chex.
Directions:
Heat your oven to 350. Place the margarine in a large roasting pan and place it in the oven for 3-5 minutes to allow the margarine to melt. Next add the Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic and onion powders, and sugar. Stir that well to combine all the ingredients. Add the cereal(s) and stir well so the margarine mixture is spread evenly throughout the cereal. Add the remaining ingredients and give it one more stir.
Bake your snack mix for about one hour, pulling it out to stir about every 15 minutes. That helps spread the love, I mean the flavoring all around. Once your hour’s up, remove from the oven and allow the mixture to cool and then transfer to an airtight container for storage…and so you don’t eat it all there on the spot!
This recipe should make approximately 12 cups of delicious Holiday Snack Mix! Plenty to have some at home and still have some left to take to your next party.
ON. MY. WAY.
December 6, 2011
4:27 pm
What a fun twist on an old favorite! I’m tempted to make some and bring to work, but I fear I’ll end up eating it all. I can totally picture a bowl on this sitting on my desk, and disappearing fast
December 7, 2011
11:19 am
wow this looks so good, I am going to have to make this!
December 8, 2011
12:56 pm
Yum, nice snack mix combination and love the power tools – you’re so clever.
December 9, 2011
6:20 am
Great flavor combination! You can’t let the holidays pass by without one good party mix!
December 9, 2011
11:23 am
I love the mixture of salty and sweet. I would love to try this out for our holiday feast. I love collecting recipes for my family and me to make. We need some party snack foods Thank you for sharing this with me and brightening my morning!
December 11, 2011
9:43 am
Looks great Marly, however you really need to cut back on your trips to the store!!
December 11, 2011
1:09 pm
Very exciting recipe, I just bought 20 boxes of various Chex cereals on sale and wondered if there was a vegan version of a mix, Thanks! Looks delish.
December 12, 2011
12:04 pm
You should meet Shannon, a commenter on my Confetti Cookie recipe. She hoards sprinkles. I wonder what we could make with chex cereal and sprinkles?
December 14, 2011
7:23 am
This is so up my alley. I am making this asap
December 16, 2011
7:57 am