NUTS AND BOLTS | A FATHER’S DAY GIFT FROM THE KITCHEN

Hello there.

Sunday is Father’s Day and I’ve got a quick and easy recipe for a “Gift from the Kitchen” that is loved by all dads.  It’s called Nuts and Bolts, or in more common terms, “Chex Mix on Steroids”.  Last Father’s Day I had both family and friends visiting and decided to honor all the dads with a little gift from my kitchen.

So, I prepared Nuts and Bolts Snack Mix, as well as my recipe for Homemade Granola, and packaged it all up in tins and cellophane for the dads.  Today, just in time for Father’s Day, I thought I’d show you how to make this glorified recipe for the classic snack, Chex Mix.  So, here’s how ya do it:

My recipe is huge, enough for me to prepare 4 large gift tins.  To make this quantity of Nuts and Bolts you will need a very large bowl.  Or, you may wish to cut the recipe in half.  However, this universally loved snack goes quickly, especially around hungry men, so I say, “Go for the gusto” and make a BIG batch.

First, preheat your oven to 225º F.

To get started you will need 1 – 14 oz. box each of toasted wheat, corn and rice Chex cereals.  Dump the full box of each cereal in your big giant bowl.

Next, add 1 full 16 oz. bag of Pretzel Stix,  1 full 8 oz.bag of Bagel Chips (crushed up a bit), 1 – 16 oz. can of Dry Roasted Peanuts and 4 Cups of Goldfish Crackers. Then, toss it all together to combine.

NOTE:  I really like the Stacy’s Brand Parmesan & Garlic Bagel Chips in this recipe.

Now comes the good part: the spicy, savory and buttery sauce that makes this snack very addicting.

Start by melting 3 cubes of butter in a small saucepan.  I know it looks like only 2 cubes in the photo but trust me, use 3.  To the butter add the following:

• 1 Tablespoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Paprika,
• 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder

Next, add 4 cloves of pressed fresh garlic to the butter sauce.

Finally, add about 1/4 cup of fresh rosemary leaves to the butter sauce.  No need to chop the rosemary up, simply strip the leaves from the hard stem and add them on in.

Give the sauce a quick stir to incorporate all of those delicious ingredients……

then pour it over the chex snack mix……

and gently toss it all together to coat.

Pour the Nuts and Bolts onto a large rimmed baking sheet, (you may need 2 or 3) spreading the mixture out evenly.  Bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, gently tossing every 15 minutes until golden brown.

I packaged my Nuts and Bolts snack mix in these cool, 1/2 gallon white tins with handles that I purchased online from The Container Store.  You can order some too by clicking here.  They cost $4.49 each.  The tins are food safe but I also lined them with parchment paper, making a nice presentation.

Plus, you can make your gift tins look super cool by printing out the Nuts and Bolts Clip Art Label  here.  It’s free on Martha Stewart’s website.  Simply download the clip art and print the labels out onto self adhesive paper.

Cut the circles out, stick them on the tins and there you have it:  Nuts and Bolts | A Father’s Day Gift from the Kitchen!

Stay tuned and next time I’ll be sharing my recipe for delicious Homemade Granola.  It makes a great Father’s Day gift too!

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO ALL THE DADS IN YOUR LIFE!

NUTS AND BOLTS | A FATHER'S DAY GIFT FROM THE KITCHEN

 

Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour 20 mins

Total time

1 hour 35 mins

 

Honor the Dads in your family with a bucket of Nuts and Bolts Snack Mix. It's the perfect Father's Day gift from the kitchen. This manly snack is so good it's addictive!

Author: Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

Recipe type: Snack Food

Ingredients

• 1 - 14 Oz. Box Wheat Chex Cereal
• 1 - 14 Oz. Box Corn Chex Cereal
• 1 - 12.8 Oz. Box Rice Chex Cereal
• 1 - 16 Oz. Bag Thin Pretzel Stix
• 1 - 8 Oz. Bag Bagel Chips (crushed a bit)
• 1 - 16 Oz. Can Dry Roasted Peanuts
• 4 Cups Goldfish Crackers
• 3 Cubes Butter (1-1/2 Cups)
• 1 Tablespoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Paprika,
• ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
• 4 Cloves Fresh Garlic, Pressed
• ¼ Cup Fresh Rosemary Leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
2. Add wheat, corn and rice Chex cereal to a very large bowl.
3. Then add the pretzel stix, crushed bagel chips, peanuts and goldfish crackers to the bowl.
4. Melt butter in a small saucepan.
5. Add the remaining ingredients to the melted butter and stir to combine.
6. Pour over cereal mixture and toss to coat.
7. Spread evenly onto lowsided rimmed baking sheets.
8. Bake about 1 hour and 20 minutes, gently tossing every 15 minutes until snack mix is golden brown.
9. Cool completely.
10. ENJOY!

Notes

This recipe was adapted from one published in 2011 by Martha Stewart Living. Get the clip art for the Nuts and Bolts packaging label on MarthaStewart.com.

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