Grab and Go Snacks - Chicky Chex Mix

My mom and dad stopped by overnight on their way home to MI from their winter in FL on Monday.  When I told the kids they were coming, they all asked, "Is Nanna bringing some of her mix?" 

Some may think homemade cookies when they think of visits with Grandma; my kids think of Nana Mix. "Nanna Mix" is nothing more than a large can of homemade Chex Mix, but it's one of my all time favorite munchies, so my mom always has a can for me when we go to visit or when they come to visit. 

Nanna did not bring a can of her famous mix for this quick overnight visit, but I'm proud to say that I've come up with an equally good mix that seems to satisfy all our salty snack cravings.   I've made several batches in the last few weeks.  I like to think it's a bit healthier than chips.  It takes under 30 minutes to put a batch together, and you'll have more than 15 servings.  I like to bag mine in individual snack bags so I can limit my portion size.  I keep a stash in our Grab and Go Snack Basket.  It will keep in an airtight container for a couple of weeks.  It also freezes well if you have ingredients to make a double batch. 

Chicky Chex Mix

The inspiration for this Chicky Chex Mix all started with the purchase of these 2 boxes of little snack crackers:

Have you seen these?  I got the mini Triscuits at Meijer several weeks ago when they had a great sale on snack crackers, and I had multiple copies of coupons.  I bought several different kinds of crackers for about $1.25/box.  I found these cute little Chickadees Crackers at Target.  They are normally $1.49/box, but I picked them up using a Target online coupon for Market Pantry Snacks making them under $1. 

The beauty of Chex Mix is that you can really use any combination of snack items that you like.  Nanna Mix usually contains garlic bagel chips, Bugles, and peanuts along with the traditional Chex cereals and pretzels.  My kids love to look through the can and pick out the Bugles and place them on their pinky fingers.   I didn't have any Bugles or Garlic Bagel Chips, but I spotted the Chickadees Crackers and the Mini Triscuits in our pantry and thought they might make a good substitution.  The results were delicious!  Just the right combination of textures, sizes, and flavors for a hard to stop at one handful snack mix.

Here's the recipe:

Chicky Chex Mix
3 cups Corn Chex
3 Cups Rice Chex
3 Cups Pretzels
1 Cup Chickadees Crackers
1 Cup Mini Triscuits
1 Cup Peanuts
6 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

Generic Chex cereals will work just fine if you don't have Chex coupons!

1.  In a glass 9 x 13 pan, mix together all the cereals, pretzels, crackers, and nuts and gently mix.
2.  In a measuring cup, combine the melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and onion powder and stir well.
3.  Pour the seasoned butter mixture over the snack mix and toss gently until it's evenly coated.
4.  Microwave for 2 minutes on high.
5.  Stir.  (I use a spatula so I don't break the cereal pieces with a spoon)
6.  Microwave for 2 more minutes on high.
7.  Stir. 
8.  Microwave for another 1-2 minutes on high.
9.  Stir. 
10.  Taste.  It should be crispy now.
11.  Let cool (or enjoy several bites while warm!)
12.  Store in an airtight container or in individual snack bags.

Chicky Chex Mix

Feel free to play around with the combinations with whatever ingredients you might have in your pantry.  You just need 12 cups total of snack items to the 6 Tbsp of seasoned, melted butter.

What's your favorite Chex Mix combination?

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Granola Bars

The two big girls are off at their activities this afternoon and the youngest and the dog are at the park with Daddy, so it was time for me to whip up a few snacks in the kitchen for this upcoming week while the house was quiet.  In the last few weeks I have been so busy that our snack basket has been filled with more convenience items than homemade, so I wanted to refill our grab and go snack basket with some of our favorite homemade items.

I got ready to put together a batch of No Bake Granola Bars when I realized we did not have any cheerios on hand except for the apple cinnamon flavored ones.  I had already poured the honey and brown sugar into the sauce pan, so I looked around in our cereal stash to see what might make a good substitute.  We had a half-eaten box of Cocoa Krispies in the cupboard, so I thought I'd give that a try.

I'm licking my lips as I write this post, because this combination of old fashioned oats, Cocoa Krispies, and the sweet peanut butter goo that holds them all together is delicious!  In fact, they might even be better than my other recipe.  I topped them with a few chocolate chips and those were still a little melty during my taste test.  I hope there are still enough left for the week's after school snacks by the end of the day!  These are going to be a big hit with the snackers in our house!

Here's the recipe:

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Granola Bars
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups Cocoa Krispies
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1.  In a medium saucepan, bring the honey and brown sugar to a slight boil (just enough to dissolve all the sugar crystals) stirring constantly.
2.  Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter.
3.  Add in the oats and rice krispies stirring gently until they are all coated in the peanut butter goo.
3.  Spread with a spatula in a greased 9x13 pan.
4.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips and press down slightly on them.
5.  Let cool and cut into bars.

(or eat them while they are still warm!)

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Granola Bars

Cooled bars may be individually wrapped ready to be eaten by hungry snackers, frozen to be enjoyed later on, or stored in a large container for a few days.

What's your favorite homemade grab and go snack item?

Ham and Cheese Morning Muffins

I'm always on the lookout for new breakfast items!  I like recipes that can be made ahead and then frozen so that I can have something to grab and go on busy mornings (which are most of the mornings around here).   I like to have a little protein with breakfast, and I prefer something savory rather than sweet.  My oldest and youngest both have tastes similar to mine.  In fact, I think they both would pick leftover pizza for breakfast over a sweet bowl of cereal any day! 

I first came across this recipe for Ham and Cheese Morning Muffins while looking through the 2011 Back to School Issue of Family Fun magazine.  I pulled out this recipe thinking it looked like something that we might enjoy.  I made the first batch of these muffins according to the recipe back in January, but I felt they needed a little tweaking before I could call them a family favorite. 

In less than 15 minutes, I made a new batch today, and I can say they've moved into that category.  The girls have a playdate this afternoon, and they all grabbed a muffin from the cooling rack and headed down to the basement saying, "Oooh!  I like these!" on the way down.  I made them using some leftover ham and cheese I found in the deli drawer (from a recipe last week) when I cleaned out the frig this morning.  I plan to freeze the remaining muffins in a ziploc bag and pull one or two out at a time as we need them.  Just 30-45 seconds in the microwave, and we'll have a hearty grab and go breakfast ready to enjoy.

Here's the recipe:

Ham and Cheese Morning Muffins
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp onion powder
a few shakes of pepper
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup diced ham
1 cup cheddar cheese

1.  Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl with a whisk.
2.  Mix milk, egg, and oil in a separate small bowl with a whisk.
3.  Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry just until mixed.
4.  Fold in the ham and cheese.
5.  Spoon batter into 12 greased muffin cups.
6.  Bake for 20 minutes at 375 until tops are lightly browned.

These freeze really well!  Just let them cool completely before you put them in a ziploc bag.

To reheat, pull a muffin from the bag in the freezer and microwave 30-45 seconds.  The cheese gets all melty and gooey.  Eat plain or add a bit of sweet cream butter to make them even more delicious.

Ham and Cheese Morning Muffins

What's your favorite savory muffin?