• Recipes: Classic Chex Mix in the Crockpot (Gluten, Peanut, & Dairy Free)

    Original Chex Mix

    Classic Chex Mix made in the Crockpot!

    I have always enjoyed Chex Mix!  It is a great winter snack food as you are sitting by the fire or playing board games around the dining room table.  There are so many amazing variations to it as well.  I especially like the sweet Chex Mix recipes here are some of my favorites:

    The other day I decided to try making the Classic Chex Mix out with items I already had in our pantry and in the crockpot.  I added several variations to the Classic Chex Mix because we have a family member that cannot have peanuts or dairy and we have some friends who cannot have gluten.  My recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and peanut free for those who do not want to use those products in their Classic Chex Mix. You can substitute regular pretzels, dairy butter, or peanuts if you would prefer them instead.

    Classic Chex Mix (Gluten & Peanut Free)

    • 5 cups Rice Chex Cereal
    • 5 cups Corn Crunch Cereal
    • 2 cups Gluten Free Pretzels
    • 1 cup Almonds
    • 6 Tablespoons Dairy-Free Butter or Margarine (melted)
    • 1/2 Tablespoon Seasoned Salt
    • 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
    • 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

    Place the cereal, pretzels, and almonds into your crockpot.  Melt the butter (or margarine) in a separate bowl and mix in the salt, garlic, and worcestershire sauce.  Pour the butter mixture over the cereal mixture in the crockpot and gently stir until the cereal is evenly coated.  Cover and turn the crockpot on low for 3 hours.  If your crockpot does not have a hole for moisture to escape you can leave a slight gap at the lid so the moisture can escape otherwise you can place a towel or paper towel up by the lid of the crockpot to absorb any condensation from the Chex Mix cooking.  Stir the Chex Mix every hour to keep it from burning.  Once it is done spread the mixture out evenly on parchment paper and let it cool.

    I love using my crockpot for a variety of great recipes.  Plus the house smells amazing as the food cooks.  The only thing I forgot to do was take a picture of the finished Classic Chex Mix.  Sorry!  Guess it is time to make another batch.  It turned out well.  I still prefer the “sweet” Chex mixes over the salty, but this was a great alternative snack to have around the house for those who cannot eat gluten, dairy, or peanuts!

  • Easy Appetizer – Vegetable Tray

    Lately with it being busy around our house I have been all about quick, easy, and healthy options for when we are going out or bringing items to a gathering.  Last week I shared one of our simple fruit appetizers – Fresh Apples & Caramel Dip to make so this week I am going to share another one of our family favorites!

    If you a looking for a quick and healthy item to bring to the next party try putting together a veggie tray.  With Spring starting this week you may be starting to plan your garden and will have a bundle of fresh vegetables to share in a couple months.  Most grocery stores will have a lot of great produce on sale during this time of year too.  Pick up items that are on sale, put the vegetables on a serving dish and add dip (if you want) and you have a healthy and colorful treat to bring to your next party.

  • Fresh Apples & Caramel Dip

    Fresh Apple Slices and Caramel Dip

    Do you have a party where you need a quick, healthy, and easy appetizer?  This one is kind of a no-brainer, but sometimes I need to be reminded that the simple easy snacks that require less prep can be just as enjoyable for everyone (and allows you to spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your family).  Freshly sliced apples with caramel dip is a great one to bring and share!  There’s is just something refreshing and delicious about apples and caramel.  Yum!

    For this event I took fresh apples sliced them, dipped them in a mix of  lemon juice and water to keep them from turning brown and poured the caramel dip that we already had in the pantry onto the serving platter.  You can make your own caramel sauce, but since I had some on hand it was easier just to pour it into the dish.  Also, if you want to make it even easier, especially if you’re in a pinch, you can purchase both pre-sliced apples and caramel dip at the store.  Sometimes it’s the simple easy stuff that is a big hit.

  • Red Velvet Cake Batter Dip

    I made this Red Velvet Cake Batter Dip for several parties over the past few months.  It is always a hit!  The dip is pretty and delicious.  Animal crackers, graham crackers, pretzels, cookies, or even Nilla wafers are a perfect compliment to this delicious dip.

    Red Velvet Cake Batter Dip
    • 8 ounces softened Cream Cheese
    • 1/2 cup softened Butter
    • 1 1/2 cups of dry Red Velvet Cake Mix
    • 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
    • 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
    • 1/2 cup Mini Chocolate Chips
    • Animal Crackers, Graham Crackers, Pretzels, Cookies, or Nilla Wafers

    Beat cream cheese and butter until its smooth.  Add in the dry red velvet cake mix, brown sugar, and powdered sugar.  Blend until combined.  Scoop mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a ball.  Refrigerate for at least two hours.  Unwrap the ball and place it in a bowl or platter.  Sprinkle with chocolates or sprinkles and serve with cookies or crackers.

  • Funfetti Cake Batter Chex Mix

    Brina helped me make three different types of chex mix for a party earlier this week and they were a huge hit! 🙂   The three recipes were Caramel Party Mix (Gluten Free Snack), Puppy Chow, and the new one Funfetti Cake Batter Chex Mix. I have been making the Puppy Chow since I was a kid and the Caramel one for a few years now (thanks to a sweet friend who shared it with me), but I adapted the Funfetti Cake Batter Chex Mix from Six Sisters Stuff  which was a hit and great addition to our recipe collection.

    Funfetti Cake Batter Chex Mix

    • 6  cups Rice or Corn Chex Cereal (store brands work well too)
    • 12 oz Vanilla Almond Bark
    • 2 cups Funfetti Cake Mix
    • 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
    • 1 teaspoon Vegetable Shortening
    • 1/2 teaspoon Sprinkles
    Pour cereal into a large bowl and set aside. Mix the funfetti cake mix and powdered sugar in a large ziplock bag and set aside.
    Melt Almond Bark according to package directions.  Once melted add vegetable shortening to thin so it coats the chex better.  Pour the melted almond bark over the chex cereal.  Mix gently with a large spatula until the cereal is coated.
    Pour the coated chex cereal into the bag with the funfetti cake and powdered sugar mixture and gently shake to evenly coat the snack.  Scoop into a bowl, put a few sprinkles over the top and serve.
    • 2 sticks of Butter
    • 2 cups of Brown Sugar
    • 1/2 cup of Kairo Syrup
    • 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
    • 1 box of Corn (or Rice) Chex Cereal (you can use store brands too)

    Put the whole box of cereal in a microwavable bowl.  Bring the butter, brown sugar, and kairo syrup to a boil.  Boil for one minute.  Make sure to stir constantly when boiling so it doesn’t burn.  After boiling for 1 minute add the baking soda.  Pour the mixture over the box of Corn (or Rice) cereal.  Microwave everything 1 1/2 minutes, take it out, stir, and microwave again.  Do this step 3 times.  It will evenly distribute the mixture and coat the cereal.  Lay the mix out on wax paper or the counter and let set.

    Optional: You can add pretzels, pecans, almonds, cranberries or whatever you want to the mix. (If you want it to remain gluten free do not add pretzel as pictured above, however, you can add nuts if they do not have any nut allergies)

    Puppy Chow

    • 9 cups of Rice or Corn Chex cereal (store brands work well too)
    • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
    • 1/2 cup peanut butter
    • 1/4 cup butter
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
    Pour 9 cups of rice (or corn) cereal into a bowl set aside.  Put the powdered sugar into a Ziploc bag and set aside.
    Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter on medium heat, stirring constantly. Once melted, add vanilla and stir well.
    Pour over Rice Chex cereal and stir with a rubber spatula until Chex is evenly coated. Add chex mixture to bag and shake bag gently until the powdered sugar is evenly distributed over all the mix.

  • Recipe: Carmel Apple Dip

    P1190175c

     

    Are you looking for a simple and tasty apple appetizer?  All you have to do is wash the apples.  Core out the middle of one of the apples.  Put 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in the middle and swish it around making sure the entire inside of the apple has been coasted  with lemon juice (the lemon juice helps prevent the apple from browning).  Pour caramel dip in the center of the apple and serve with fresh apple slices.

    You can either buy the already made caramel dip or melt caramels according to the package directions.  Make sure the caramel is cool before pouring it into the apple “serving” bowl.  This recipe is simple, easy, and delicious.  A perfect Fall treat to share with family and friends!

  • Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Ring

    My cousin makes an awesome Buffalo Chicken dip that our entire family loves so when I saw this recipe on Jayesel it looked similar but wrapped in crescent rolls and I had to try it!  I tweaked the recipe a little bit, added shredded cheese, and it turned out really well.  The first time I made it I took it to a get together and it was a huge hit.  It is a delicious recipe that we have added to our collection.  This is a great meal or can be used as an appetizer.

    Buffalo Chicken Ring

    • 8 oz Cream cheese, softened
    • 1/2 packet Ranch Powder Mix
    • 2 tablespoon Buffalo Hot Sauce
    • 2 Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded
    • 2 packages Crescent Rolls
    • 1 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease cookie sheet and spread the unrolled crescent rolls out leaving a small circle in the middle.  Mix chicken and buffalo sauce to taste.  In separate bowl, mix softened cream cheese, 1 cup cheddar cheese, and ranch packet together.  Mix all ingredients together.  Scoop the mixture by the spoonful onto the crescent rolls.  Fold the crescent rolls over the mixture to create a ring shape.  Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese over the top of the ring.  Bake for 15 minutes or until the crescent rolls are brown.  You can serve with buffalo hot sauce and ranch dressing.

  • Family Recipe: Bean Dip for Chips

    My Aunt Michelle St. Clair brought this amazing Bean Dip to my bridal shower.  We still make it on occasion when we have guests over.  It has a great mix of flavors and usually by the end of the night the dish is empty.  The dip tastes best with any type of Corn Chip.  It can be used for a party or an appetizer to before a Mexican meal.

    Bean Dip for Chips

    • 2 cans Refried Beans
    • 1/4 cup Onion (optional)
    • 16 oz Sour Cream
    • 1 bottle of Oretoga Taco Sauce
    • 1 package finely Grated Cheese (Cheddar)

    In a 9 x 13 pan layer the above, refried beans, then onion, then sour cream, the sauce, then cheese on top.  Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving with chips. Optional – you can add chopped peppers for additional color and flavor.

  • Family Recipe: Karen’s Fresh Fruit Dip

    If you need a super quick recipe to throw together right before the guests arrive you should try my great Aunt Karen Younger’s Fresh Fruit Dip.  It is easy and a hit with everyone.  The fruit looks amazing next to the white dip!

    Karen’s Fresh Fruit Dip

    • 1 (8 oz) package Cream Cheese (soften)
    • 1 (7 oz) jar Marshmallow Creme

    Mix together equal parts of soft cream cheese and marshmallow creme.  Stire well together, cut up fresh fruit and dip.  Works really well with tart fruit.

    My great Aunt Karen added a note on the bottom of recipe – “No double dippers, (smile).  Enjoy!”

    Love that this recipe is quick, easy and delicious!

  • Recipe: Confetti Dip for Veggies or Chips

    This is a colorful dip to make for when you have people coming over.  It is good on vegetables, crackers, or chips.  Great appetizer or snack for guests.  I received this recipe from a church friend at my bridal shower Andy Conn.

    Confetti Dip

    • 2 1/2 cups sliced and shredded Beef (lunchmeat)
    • 1 (8 oz) package of Cream Cheese (softened)
    • 1 Tablespoon Green Goddess Dressing or Ranch
    • 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
    • 1/2 cup Green Onion (chopped)
    • 1/2 cup Yellow, Orange or Red Pepper (chopped)

    Mix well and refrigerate.  When ready to serve set out with veggies and crackers.