'Tis the Season for Nuts and Bolts

First of all, we have snow.

For those of you who know where I live, this occurs maybe once a year if we are lucky, and usually in the 1-5 cm mark. Then it froze. Hello ice covered city....

Back to the food. Bad brain, bad!

This time of year is the season of giving, and one item that everyone loves (especially the men at my work, who still beg for more, even when I gave them the recipe...) and is adaptable for normal people, gluten free, dairy free, nut free, etc.... is Nuts and Bolts (aka Chex mix)

I actually have a Word document typed out, but can't attach a file, so here's hoping copy & paste works!

SUCCESS!!!

Wet Ingredients

·         1 lb butter (can use vegetable or lightly flavoured oil to make dairy free)

·         1/4 – 1/3  c of Worcestershire sauce

·         1 – 1 ½ tbsp garlic powder (not garlic salt, otherwise way too salty)

·         1 – 1 ½ tbsp onion powder (not onion salt, otherwise way too salty)

·         1 – 1 ½ tbsp celery salt

·         2-3 tbsp chili powder (or to taste)

·         Squirt or two of hot sauce (optional) for extra kick

Dry Ingredients

·         1 box Cheerios

·         1 box Shreddies

·         1 bag pretzel sticks

·         1 lb peanuts (roasted, un-roasted, red skins, doesn’t matter)

·         1 box oat squares / corn squares (optional) un-sweetened unless you like sweet & salty

Here I have about 1/6 cup of chili powder, 1 tbsp of garlic powder, 1/4 tbsp of celery salt and 1/2 tbsp of onion powder.

Gluten Free Options

·         GF Worcestershire sauce (use 1/3 to 1/2 c for more flavour, not as strong as Lea & Perrin’s)

·         Certified GF Rice O’s

·         Certified GF Rice Chex (honey nut works great for sweet & spicy style)

·         Certified GF pretzles (Glutino works best)

·         Un-roasted peanuts (to ensure no cross-contamination)

·         Can use Oat squares if able to eat oats

·         Can use corn Chex, but check for barley malt (not GF w/ barley malt)

 

Other Random Yummy Ingredients

Cheese Nips

Cheese sticks (like form the Bits and Bites mix)

Gold Fish

Different kinds of Chex mix (if you are in the USA they have way more options)

Different kinds of nuts

 

1.       Pre-heat oven to 250*

2.       Melt wet ingredients in a pot or a quart glass measuring cup over low heat on stove. Do not melt in microwave, otherwise the celery salt will not completely dissolve

-  Taste test the sauce, and add more seasonings to how you like it (try not to lick the spoon)

3.       Evenly divide the dry mix between two large roasting pans (turkey sized is best)

4.       Pour the sauce over the dry mix, and stir to coat using a wooden / plastic / rubber utensil (metal will just mash it into crumbs)

- you can pour the sauce in batches, making sure to evenly coat everything, until all of the sauce is gone 

5.       Bake for 2 ½ - 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes

6.       Do not worry if the mix seems soggy; it will dry out as it cools

7.       Place in large containers and eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, 2am...

Yes, I know that this makes a massive amount of mix, but you can easily halve or quarter it.

So you don't have chili powder. Use Tex-Mex spice instead. Change it up. I never make it the same twice.

 

How to Make in the Slow Cooker (you read that right!)

 

You can also cook it in the slow cooker (if you have a large sized one)

Mix everything and dump in slow cooker.

Turn temperature to High, and set for roughly THREE hours, stirring every half hour.

But it will get soggy you say? Nope. Fold up a large towel, and place it under the lid, allowing the excess moisture


to evaporate. It may still be damp after three hours, but dump it on a cookie sheet to cool, and it will crisp up right away. 

 

ENJOY!