Ideas for a 'novelty' Christmas snack mix
November 18, 2014 9:57 AM Subscribe
I make the traditional Christmas snack mix, or 'Nuts n' Bolts' as we call it. But this year, I want to also make a different variation with a different flavor. Spicy, maybe? Sweet? Ideas and recipes are appreciated!
For reference, our family standard is cheerios, shreddies, chex, pretzels and chow mein noodles. The flavoring is typical - Lawry's, Worcestershire, celery salt, garlic salt, onion powder. Please help me mix things up a bit for something novel.
For reference, our family standard is cheerios, shreddies, chex, pretzels and chow mein noodles. The flavoring is typical - Lawry's, Worcestershire, celery salt, garlic salt, onion powder. Please help me mix things up a bit for something novel.
Go to the Indian grocery store and buy any kind of snack mix. Hard to describe but you'll know it when you see it. Can be lentils, pretzyl sticks etc. Mix it into your usual snack mix.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 10:14 AM on November 18, 2014
posted by St. Peepsburg at 10:14 AM on November 18, 2014
I asked a very similar question last year and got a ton of great answers.
posted by jbickers at 10:14 AM on November 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by jbickers at 10:14 AM on November 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
I see you're in Canada - I would check out Bulk Barn and try some of their snack mixes. They have 5 or 10 different blends that are all pretty distinct. You could mix them right in to your classic mix or use them as inspiration around flavors and ingredients.
posted by pocams at 10:26 AM on November 18, 2014
posted by pocams at 10:26 AM on November 18, 2014
I recently discovered Kind Bars' "Strong + Kind" line (which is all savory flavors... honey-mustard, jalapeno, Thai chili, etc.) and have been LIVING on the damned addictive things for weeks. So you may wish to draw flavor inspiration from those, because salty + spicy + sweet + crunchy, all in one package = AMAZING.
You can also find some very interesting, unusually-flavored things (unusual nuts, interesting dried fruits, cool flavorings, weird chocolate chips) at both King Arthur Flour's ingredients page AND Nuts.com (I've been dying to order from them but haven't done so yet).
posted by julthumbscrew at 10:27 AM on November 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
You can also find some very interesting, unusually-flavored things (unusual nuts, interesting dried fruits, cool flavorings, weird chocolate chips) at both King Arthur Flour's ingredients page AND Nuts.com (I've been dying to order from them but haven't done so yet).
posted by julthumbscrew at 10:27 AM on November 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
Last year I did Sriracha for one batch, and smokey (liquid smoke, plus the usual spices) for the other. Both were pretty great.
(Super excited for the chili-lime suggestion above!)
posted by kimdog at 10:28 AM on November 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
(Super excited for the chili-lime suggestion above!)
posted by kimdog at 10:28 AM on November 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
I use the same kind of Chex mix recipe as everyone else, but I changed the flavor of the butter mixture to try to imitate the flavor of Honey Mustard and Onion Snyder's Pretzel Pieces:
a stick of butter
a few tablespoons of yellow mustard (feel free to use Dijon)
a few tablespoons of honey
1/2 teaspoon-ish of salt
Onion powder (not onion salt) - put some in the mix, but save most of it to sprinkle over the top.
Cook it the same way as all the other recipes; sprinkle the onion powder over the pan each time you stir it in the oven.
posted by CathyG at 11:02 AM on November 18, 2014
a stick of butter
a few tablespoons of yellow mustard (feel free to use Dijon)
a few tablespoons of honey
1/2 teaspoon-ish of salt
Onion powder (not onion salt) - put some in the mix, but save most of it to sprinkle over the top.
Cook it the same way as all the other recipes; sprinkle the onion powder over the pan each time you stir it in the oven.
posted by CathyG at 11:02 AM on November 18, 2014
My family makes a Texas Trash that’s similar to this recipe with Tabasco sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Pretzels, Chex cereal, corn-nuts and sunflower seeds are the base, but it varies depending on my husband’s mood. Last time he included some cheese filled Ritz minis. The corn-nuts really are the best part and it's better the spicier it is.
posted by saffry at 12:26 PM on November 18, 2014
posted by saffry at 12:26 PM on November 18, 2014
If you read about food, or watch menus at restaurants, it's easy to assume that everyone loves spicy food. They don't.
It's not just me, either. I have talked to several people who are also put off by this trend that is so pervasive that it's getting difficult to find non-spicy interesting food.
Just... be mindful, in case your family has one or two members who also don't like spicy food. They need snacks too! And sometimes the nut snack mix is the only filling snack that's not just straight-up carbohydrates.
posted by amtho at 12:53 PM on November 18, 2014
It's not just me, either. I have talked to several people who are also put off by this trend that is so pervasive that it's getting difficult to find non-spicy interesting food.
Just... be mindful, in case your family has one or two members who also don't like spicy food. They need snacks too! And sometimes the nut snack mix is the only filling snack that's not just straight-up carbohydrates.
posted by amtho at 12:53 PM on November 18, 2014
...and now I realize that I don't see nuts in your ingredients list, just in the title of the dish. So, my suggestion is: nuts. Cashews, pine nuts if you can be that extravagant, etc. Avoid too many nuts with a dark outer coat (i.e., almonds, pecans, etc.)
posted by amtho at 12:55 PM on November 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by amtho at 12:55 PM on November 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I hate the nuts. Especially peanuts. The flavor infuses everything. Do most people like them?
posted by kitcat at 2:31 PM on November 18, 2014
posted by kitcat at 2:31 PM on November 18, 2014
In the 55 household, we keep it pure - chex, and chex only. Wheat, corn, rice. They seem to have stopped making the bran chex, which is a shame; probably the healthiest addition to my holidays. So, try making batches with different crunchies.
posted by theora55 at 5:36 PM on November 18, 2014
posted by theora55 at 5:36 PM on November 18, 2014
We consider pretzels to be allowable, but irrelevant.
posted by theora55 at 5:36 PM on November 18, 2014
posted by theora55 at 5:36 PM on November 18, 2014
Nuts are protein. I find that they keep me from being sleepy, unlike snacks that are mostly carbohydrates. If I'm having a fun time, or spending time with people I care about, I try to avoid being sleepy.
Don't get a can of mixed nuts from the grocery store. Peanuts are cheap, so the mixes tend to have a lot of peanuts. They also sometimes have Brazil nuts, which are so huge the overpower whatever handful they're in. The nuts also may not be the best/freshest.
Cashews and pine nuts are relatively inoffensive. A few pecan halves can go over well, too. Look around and see if you see any that look promising.
posted by amtho at 7:02 PM on November 18, 2014
Don't get a can of mixed nuts from the grocery store. Peanuts are cheap, so the mixes tend to have a lot of peanuts. They also sometimes have Brazil nuts, which are so huge the overpower whatever handful they're in. The nuts also may not be the best/freshest.
Cashews and pine nuts are relatively inoffensive. A few pecan halves can go over well, too. Look around and see if you see any that look promising.
posted by amtho at 7:02 PM on November 18, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
Chili-lime by adding chili powder and lime juice.
BBQ with some mesquite flavoring and a bit of liquid smoke. (Or just add crushed-to-a-powder BBQ chips)
Or straight-up spicy with added cayenne.
posted by trivia genius at 10:07 AM on November 18, 2014