Homemade Bits & Bites (small batch)

 

 

Are you ready for the holidays?  I have a few more things that I want to make like my mince pies and some short bread cookies.

I'm really excited because I have family coming over from New Brunswick for Christmas.  My oldest son and his family. This will be the first Christmas in 24 years that I have had any of my children here and the first time ever I have had grandchildren here for Christmas!

So it's all very exciting!

 

My goal is to make this the best Christmas ever. None of us knows how much longer we will be around or what can happen. I am going all out with this one, making it as special as I can.

We are having Turkey on Christmas Day at my sister's and on Christmas Eve we are having a Beef Tenderloin roast. 

I plan on playing games with the family on Saturday night and so I have gotten in a bunch of fun card games like Yahtzee, Family Charades, and a really fun one called Things.

Today I decided to make some Homemade Bits & Bites for us to snack on while we are having fun on Christmas Eve.  My sister had made some earlier this week and hers tasted really nice. 

They were not as salty as some I have made in the past, and definitely not as salty as the commercial ones!  I asked her for the recipe, and she happily shared it with me.

 

The original recipe came from here.  It did make rather a lot however, so I have cut the recipe in half. It still makes a fair bit, but I am sure we will be able to work our way through it!

When you think of how much you are paying for the commercial brand, it only makes sense to make your own and to be honest, I have always felt that homemade tastes far superior. Plus it is made with all natural ingredients.

There are no surprises here or any MSG, etc.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE HOMEMADE BITS & BITES (SMALL BATCH)

Very simple ingredients.  Some seasonings and flavorings and a whole lot of crunchy bits!  Oh and butter.  Yum!

• 1/2 box (75g) Cheez-it crackers
• 1/2 bag (100g) Goldfish crackers
• 3 cups (85g) Cheerios
• 3 cups (165g) Shreddies
• 3 cups (87g) Rice Chex
• 3 cups (126g) small pretzel or pretzel sticks
• 1 cup (240g) butter, melted
• 2 1/2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Tabasco Sauce (or to taste)
• 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (In UK use very mild chili powder)

 

I can't remember if they have Cheez-its in the UK or not, but I think they have something very similar. What you want is a small cheese cracker. I think Jacobson's makes one.

The other difficult thing to procure over there would be the rice chex cereal. Just use more of the other cereals, or you can use Bugles in their place if you can get them. I seem to recall them having those.  

I'll tell you what else would be nice in the UK, plain potato hoops.  Incredibly moreish.

 

Some people add Spanish peanuts to the mix. I don't. I guess I worry too much about one of the children choking on one.

I used pretzel hoops, but you can use pretzel sticks if you like. I think the sticks are more traditional.

If you don't want the mix to be too hot or spicy, cut back on the Tabasco sauce. Also, in the UK, the ordinary chili powder is far too strong, only use a fraction of the chili powder asked for or use a very mild version.

 

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BITS & BITES 

Other than being a bit time consuming with all the stirring, etc. these are very simple to make and well worth all the time.

Preheat the oven to 250*F/121*C. Have ready a large baking tray or roasting tin.

Mix all of the cereals, crackers and pretzels together in a large bowl.

Whisk together the melted butter and all of the seasonings. Pour this mixture over the cereal mixture, tossing everything together well to coat.

Spread the mixture out on the baking sheet, or in the roasting pan.

Bake for 2 hours, stirring very well without crushing every 15 minutes. (Try to pull the ones from underneath up.) At the end of that time the mixture should be dry and toasted. If not, cook for a further 15 minutes.

Leave to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

 

I am not sure why, but this always seems to be a Christmas snack to me. Something to munch on while you are immersing yourself in all of those Hallmark Christmas movies!

Or, yes to nibble on when you have people over for drinks or games.

It doesn't need to be the holidays to enjoy this, however. This tasty snack is great any time of the year, whether you are watching football matches or hockey games or whatever.  

 

It's great for teen parties and get-togethers.  I also happen to think it makes a great hostess gift, or even a gift for your neighbors and friends during the holidays.

Just pop it into a pretty jar and tie it up with a ribbon.  Nobody will be complaining! I guarantee!

Here are some other tasty snack recipes I have shared on here over the years:

EASY PIZZA ROLLS - Children love these, even the big children!  They are so quick and easy to make. Serve hot with some marinara sauce for dipping! 

CARAMEL POPCORN - Crunchy sweet and incredibly addictive!  A delicious snack for when you are watching movies together as a family, packaged up and given as gifts for Christmas, or as a tasty share around on Bonfire Night! 

Yield: 15 cups (approximately)

Author: Marie Rayner

Homemade Bits & Bites

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 10 M

Ingredients

• 1/2 box (75g) Cheez-it crackers
• 1/2 bag (100g) Goldfish crackers
• 3 cups (85g) Cheerios
• 3 cups (165g) Shreddies
• 3 cups (87g) Rice Chex
• 3 cups (126g) small pretzel or pretzel sticks
• 1 cup (240g) butter, melted
• 2 1/2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Tabasco Sauce (or to taste)
• 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (In UK use very mild chili powder)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 250*F/121*C. Have ready a large baking tray or roasting tin.
2. Mix all of the cereals, crackers and pretzels together in a large bowl.
3. Whisk together the melted butter and all of the seasonings. Pour this mixture over the cereal mixture, tossing everything together well to coat.
4. Spread the mixture out on the baking sheet, or in the roasting pan.
5. Bake for 2 hours, stirring very well without crushing every 15 minutes. (Try to pull the ones from underneath up.) At the end of that time the mixture should be dry and toasted. If not, cook for a further 15 minutes.
6. Leave to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

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