This is one of our family’s favorite things to munch on during the holidays! It’s great to serve at parties and even better to give away as gifts! The best thing….it couldn’t be EASIER to make!
Grandma Nystul’s Sweet and Savory Party Mix
Ingredients:
- 1 box (12 oz) Rice Chex
- 1 box (12 oz) Corn Chex
- 1 box (12 oz) Quaker Oatmeal Squares
- 1 bag (16 oz) pretzel sticks
- 1 large can (15 oz) mixed nuts
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp celery salt
- 4 sticks butter
Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
This recipe makes a BIG BATCH! So you will need a BIG ROASTER pan to make it in. But before you put it in the pan I suggest MIXING IT in the biggest bowl you have (or possibly break it up into two bowls).
All you do is literally dump all three boxes of cereal, along with one large bag of pretzel sticks and the nuts, into a bowl and toss gently with a spoon (or you can use your hands like I did). When they are well mixed, sprinkle the seasonings on top and toss a bit more.
Now pour the whole thing into the biggest roaster (with a lid) that you have….and top with 4 sticks of butter. The butter can be hard at this point, it will melt in the oven.
Put pan (with lid on) in the preheated oven. You are going to roast this for 2 hours….giving it a stir every 30 minutes. At the end of the two hours take it out of the oven and let cool before eating. It will get nice and crunchy as it cools. Store in an airtight container.
This is such a simple recipe and it’s the perfect snack for munching on at holiday parties. It’s also a great GIFT for friends, neighbors, co-workers, teachers, etc. Here are just a few ideas for packaging it up.
So what is your favorite edible gift to make?
Grandma Nystul’s Sweet and Savory Party Mix
Video
Equipment
- Roaster pan
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Rice Chex
- 12 ounces Corn Chex
- 12 ounces Quaker Oatmeal Squares
- 16 ounces pretzel sticks
- 15 ounces mixed nuts
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp celery salt
- 4 sticks butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
- Add the Rice Chex, Corn Chex, Oatmeal Squares, pretzels, and nuts to a very large bowl and toss to combine.
- Add the garlic powder, onion powder, and celery salt to the mixture and toss well.
- Pour the seasoned cereal mixture into a large roaster pan and arrange the sticks of butter on top (they'll melt in the oven).
- Put the lid on the pan and place it in your oven to roast for 2 hours. Stir the mixture every 30 minutes or so, then let it cool at room temperature before storing or eating.
No Jillee don’t beat yourself up or give up. Make it a challenge to find just the right thing to replace the Oatmeal Squares. I bet your son will volunteer for taste test purposes and you will have snack attack food for gifts, girlfriends, prizes for followers….((((hugs)))) You are one of the most favorite times of my day.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Aww Jerianne….you are a gem. Thank you so much for saying that. My heart feels lighter thanks to everyone’s kind words.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, I love your blog and I know you would never purposefully lead us astray. Don’t beat yourself up about it we all make mistakes. I hope your son is feeling ok.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you! I’m trying to cut myself some slack…but it’s hard. ;-) Thankfully my son has shown no ill effects…at least outwardly. Thank heavens for small miracles.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.For the oat squares, if you wanted something sweet in there, General Mills also makes a Chocolate Chex and a couple others that are GF and sweet. Oats are a confusing part of the GF diet. I was diagnosed with Celiac 18 years ago and oats were not allowed. Now they have some GF versions of oats so many people think all oats are allowed. (of course the oat squares also have barley and wheat). I find I don’t tolerate the GF oats either.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, I am a long time celiac and also a dietitian and if it makes you feel better, I have gluten-ated myself and my daughter both on a couple occasions! It’s a learning curve! I think the chocolate Chex would be yummy!
Thank you Gloria! What a wonderful idea! I actually think that sounds really yummy. I will definitely be trying that. Hugs for being so understanding!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Forgiven! Some things we just need to figure out for ourselves. As people with celiac disease, we are used to looking out for ourselves, so not a problem.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Your right Sandy, when you are a Celiac you never take what people say without doing your own checking and using common sense.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for being so understanding. I really feel torn up about it and your kind comments are more appreciated than you can possibly know.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.As bad as I feel about posting incorrect information, I feel even worse about feeding it to my son, and even worse than THAT…is the idea of having to tell him it’s yet another thing he “can’t have”. Celiacs disease bites.
We ALL make mistakes. Do not beat yourself up. You corrected and we are all ok with that. YOU are human.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for correcting the mistake Jillee! I think you are awesome, and I can understand how easy it is to make a mistake on stuff when you have too much going on. I hope your son is OK.
To err is human…….remember the last person that was perfect was crucified on the cross. I strive to make mistakes. LOL
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Aww, don’t kick yourself any more. People make mistakes. Give yourself the same compassion you would give any other busy, blogging mom. Your son will forgive you and you should too.
As for the recipe, have you ever tried it in an electric roaster? My roaster has probably the largest capacity pan in the house. I can roast a 22-pound turkey in it. I think it would work fine for this recipe. You could probably even double it if you wanted to.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yeah, Jillee! I will be making this one soon, much more fun then another sweet for all. Thank you!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee – don’t worry about the mistake. That’s why God gave us all brains – to read and figure things out. We are all human and you just made a simple mistake. It’s ok for others to read and see that it isn’t gluten free especially if they are in the habit of looking at that anyway. You recognized the error and fixed it. Don’t beat yourself up. I appreciate you and all you do to provide this great service for us – your readers. You go girl!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I make a similar recipe & use 2 cups oil in place of the butter. I mix the seasonings & oil, put the rest of the ingredients in a garbage bag & pour it over. Then just mix together in the bag! Easy! But make sure the bag isn’t one of those scented ones.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Tracy ~
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great idea to mix it in a garbage bag! And then if you don’t have a gigantic roaster. Dole it out in smaller containers and seal up the rest to bake another day.
Jan
Please be careful on using trash bags. You did say to be sure to not use the scented ones, but are you aware that a lot of trash bags have a powdery substance on the insides to prevent the insides from sticking together? Food items should not be mixed in such bags. Better research and make sure you are using ones that do not have that treatment. Just as an FYI.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great recipe and we forgive your mistake your only human and your son forgives you to I bet…hopefully he suffers no I’ll effects. Moms are not perfect…..take a moment to forgive yourself then move on with the rest of your day…there is much to be done ;)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You churn out high quality content seven days a week so be kind to yourself. I hope you ARE planning a break for yourself — a bit of a vacation over the holidays, perhaps. You deserve a rest! Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.To give: My favorite food item/recipe to make and give is a 7 grain pancake mix along with a couple of jars of fruit syrups I canned. I especially like this for families I know to be struggling because it is one or two less meals they have to worry about providing. Also, in my house, pancakes are for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Next year I will be adding a jar of home canned cranberry-grape or cranberry-apple juice.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.To receive: Favorite food item to receive (homemade or not) is spiced/seasoned/honeyed nuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds etc.
Yum! Butter! I may have to try that on my next batch.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is similar to the recipe I make, but we use oil instead of butter. http://larrupin.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/partymix/ Put the seasonings in the oil and whisk vigorously while you drizzle it over the cereal mix. If you have a helper one can stir and one can drizzle until it’s combined. If you’re on your own, drizzle, stir, drizzle stir… You’ll have to keep whisking the oil as you drizzle.
And for those fussing about the oat squares, you can use ANY kind of cereal/nut/snack/cracker in this so find what works with your diet. I use the ingredients I have coupons for.
I made a “small” batch recently and used the microwave method http://larrupin.wordpress.com/2012/11/06/party-mix-2012/ and it was every bit as tasty as the oven version. And even though I ate it fresh from the microwave, it was much tastier after it cooled overnight.
A tip: If you’re going to gift this, package it up and give it away pronto lest you open up the gifts and eat it yourself. It’s that irresistable!
Jan
Thanks for a great gift idea! My sister was just diagnosed with Celiac’s and I’ve been trying to come up with a snacky for her to enjoy. Going to Mother’s today to buy the GF pretzels and something to replace the oat squares and to find something like Cheerios to put in this. Glad to know there are GF options out there! Merry Christmas!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks Jillee! Looking forward to making this. Will be looking for something to replace the oatmeal squares since several of the other posts say they’re not gluten free. I’m thinking Crunchmaster’s Grammy Crisps, Cinnamon & Sugar flavor. They’re certified GF and a great alternative for making Graham cracker crusts in all sorts of recipes. Just whirl in the food processor and add melted butter. I used them in a pumpkin cheesecake recipe this past Thanksgiving that turned out just fabulous!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thi info is from the Quaker Oats Web site. This is the nutritional info for Quaker Oatmeal Squares – Brown Sugar.
THIS PRODUCT IS DEFINITELY NOT GLUTEN FREE!!!!
Ingredients
WHOLE OAT FLOUR, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, BROWN SUGAR, SUGAR, MALTODEXTRIN, MALTED BARLEY EXTRACT, MOLASSES, SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE, NATURAL FLAVOR, REDUCED IRON, SODIUM ASCORBATE, YELLOW 5, NIACINAMIDE (VITAMIN B3), BHT (A PRESERVATIVE), ZINC OXIDE, VITAMIN E ACETATE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, YELLOW 6, THIAMIN MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), FOLIC ACID.
CONTAINS WHEAT INGREDIENTS.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes I was wondering this myself, saw a HUGE red flag when I saw the Oatmeal cereal being added. I was thinking to myself, when did that become gluten free? Thank you all for answering that question. I had a hard time navigating the company’s website. Jillee, I really like your blog and have tried many things on it which is rare for me and blogs (I usually look but don’t do what the blogger is doing). I do hope that your son with Celiac is not eating this! I wouldn’t eat it and I have Celiac too.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love this and that it’s gluten-free! I’m going to make a batch of this today!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you use the quaker oat squares it will not be gluten free
Please log in or create a free account to comment.“oats” in oat squares are not gluten free. Must be certified gluten free oats fyi
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What did you use in place of the oat squares to make it gluten-free? Thanks
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Jillee,
I’m wondering if I can use Parkay spread instead of butter. My son is allergic to all milt proteins and this is the only “spread” that doesn’t contain any whey, etc. in it.
Other than that…I’m making it! (And putting cashews in it! haha)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve always used oil instead of butter. Just as tasty! See my comment below for a link to the technique.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jan
Nice idea, Jillee! Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like to make granola or Indian-spiced almonds. This year I’m trying Indian-spiced cashews.
Love this idea! However Oat Squares contain Wheat flour there for not Gluten Free. :(
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love, love. love – Want to eat! – Want to gift! God Bless You! Have a great weekend!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for the recipe, am going to make this week. Um, just to let you know you forgot to put the pretzels in the ingredient’s list – ;-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The pretzels are in the ingredients :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.But you did make me look. LOL
Yay first post and first time posting! I love your blog and look forward to reading it daily. Thanks for sharing your family recipes. I have enjoyed trying many of them! Happy holidays to you and your family :)
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