Crispy Butterscotch Snack Mix

For those who don't know me well, I am a crafter and a scrapbooker.  I've been an active member of an online scrapbooking message board for several years.  Once or twice a year I either organize or attend scrapbook retreat weekends with some of the ladies from this group.  This past weekend I attended a retreat organized by one of the other members from the board.  I had a great time meeting a couple of new ladies, visiting with some fellow scrapbookers whom I have met and become friends with over the years and I also had the chance to meet in person for the first time our hostess, a scrapbook friend whom I have known for many years, but never had the chance to connect with face to face.  We had a fabulous weekend together socializing, scrapping, and snacking.

I haven't met a scrapper yet who doesn't like to snack while she scraps, and I wanted to make something special to share with my fellow scrapping friends.  I came up with this recipe.  It was a big hit with the girls at the retreat this past weekend.  From what I was told by my husband the leftovers were a big hit with his co-workers today, so I decided that this was an original recipe of mine that was worth writing down for future use and sharing with you, my blog readers.  I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it and sharing it with friends.  Trust me when I say that you will want to share this snack mix with friends.  Not only does it make a lot, but it is also so tasty that I think it could easily become an addiction.

Crispy Butterscotch Snack Mix

Ingredients

1 17.9 oz box of Kellogg’s Crispix cereal

½ lb butter-toffee covered peanuts

1-½ 16 oz bags of mini pretzel twists

2 c plain M & M candies

1 12 oz bag of milk chocolate chips

1 12 oz bag of butterscotch chips

Directions

Line two large cookie sheets with silicone baking mats, or line them with parchment baking paper and then coat well with not stick cooking spray.  Set aside.  In a large bowl mix together Crispix cereal, butter-toffee covered peanuts, mini pretzel twists and plain M & M candies.  In a microwave heat milk chocolate chips in a microwave safe glass container for 30 seconds and then stir well.  Keep heating the chocolate in 10-second increments, checking the chocolate and stirring each time until it is thoroughly melted.  Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal mixture and stir gently with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula until the mixture is well coated in chocolate.  Spread the mixture out into a thin layer on the lined baking sheets.  In a second microwave safe glass bowl heat the butterscotch chips for 30 seconds and then stir well.  Keep heating the butterscotch chips in 10-second increments, checking the butterscotch chips and stirring each time until the butterscotch is thoroughly melted.  Using a metal spoon or a spatula drizzle the melted butterscotch over the cereal mixture in a quick back and forth fashion until the cereal is well coated with the butterscotch, but some mixture is still showing through just a bit.  Loosely cover the cookie sheets with foil or plastic and refrigerate until the chocolate and butterscotch is set, approximately ½ hour.  Remove the mixture from the refrigerator, break in to smaller pieces and serve.

When the holidays come around I am always trying to think of thoughtful, cute and inexpensive gift giving ideas.  The Crispy Butterscotch Snack Mix would make a tasty gift and there are so many cute ways you could present it.

Here are a few ideas:

Place some in a cellophane bag and tie with a cute ribbon, add a gift tag and you will have a great, yet easy to make gift for your favorite ghost or goblin.

For the holidays you could fill canning jars with Crispy Butterscotch Snack Mix and then top them with a circle of cute holiday print material, wrap a ribbon around the neck of the jar and give them as gifts to your children’s teachers or your neighbors.

As a Christmas gift for friends or co-workers - save and clean your Starbucks frappuccino bottles or canning jars.  Decorate and fill each bottle or jar with the butter-toffee covered peanuts, M & M candies, milk chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips.  Place the bottles or jars in a basket with a smaller box of Kellogg’s Crispix cereal and 1 bag of mini pretzel twists, wrap in cellophane and attach the recipe and instructions for a “do-it yourself” snack mix kit.

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Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

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Broccoli Corn Au Gratin

This recipe was born tonight in my kitchen when as I was trying to come up with a side dish for dinner.  I was really craving broccoli and cheese, but I was also wanting something just a bit different, with a little more pizzazz than your ordinary broccoli and cheese sauce.  I headed to the grocery store to get some Velveeta cheese and broccoli, since I knew I didn't have any on hand, and then I came home to see what else I had in the kitchen that I could use with my purchase to create something new and different.  That my friends is how Broccoli Corn Au Gratin was born.

The Mexicorn style corn and Tabasco pepper sauce gives this dish a little kick, but not too much of one that you can't enjoy it, and the bacon bits add just a bit of meaty flavor to kick the dish up even one more notch.  I thought it was mighty tasty and just what I was craving.  I hope you will enjoy it too.

 

Broccoli Corn Au Gratin

Ingredients 

1-¼ c. fresh broccoli florets (10 oz.)

½ c. buttermilk 
¼ c. sour cream
3-4 dashes of Tabasco hot pepper sauce
½ tsp. kosher salt

ground black pepper, to taste

1 tsp. minced garlic
1 T. real bacon bits

1 T. Parmesan cheese
8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cut into ½ inch cubes
4 T. butter, cut into ¼ inch cubes
1 11 oz. can Mexicorn style corn, drained

Topping Ingredients

½ c. Matzo Meal crumbs

1 T. Parmesan cheese

3 T. butter, melted
¼ t. kosher salt

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
 
 

Lightly grease a shallow 2 qt. baking dish.

Steam broccoli until tender, but still firm, approximately 2 ½ minutes in a microwave steamer.  Stove-top steaming time will vary.   

In a large mixing bowl combine the buttermilk, sour cream, Tabasco hot pepper sauce, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and ground black pepper.  Whisk together.  

 

To the buttermilk mixture add minced garlic, bacon bits, 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese, Velveeta cheese, and butter.  Stir mixture.

 

 

Next add drained Mexicorn and broccoli and mix until well coated.

  

 

Pour the mixture into your greased baking dish and spread evenly.  

 
 
In a small mixing bowl combine Matzo Meal crumbs, 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese, ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt, and 3 tablespoons of melted butter and mix until Matzo Meal crumbs are coated with butter and crumbly in texture. 

  
 

 

Sprinkle Matzo Meal crumbs evenly over the broccoli mixture and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cheese sauce is bubbly and the Matzo Meal crumbs are golden brown. 


 

  

Enjoy!

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