Every once in awhile I get a craving and whip up my own version of the favoured savoury cereal based snack, bits and bites. You’ll need at least one large glass or foil baking pan, 1 large pot, an oven, mixing spoons or spatula and the ingredients listed below. Sauce

• Melt 2/3 cup of butter in large pot over low heat (Yes, use butter! Margarine has more water in it and you may end up with soggy bits and bites. I have made this once before with Earth’s Balance original buttery spread (for the lactose/dairy intolerant folks) and it worked out well.)
• Add to the melting butter:
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Tamari sauce
  • 1 tbsp celery salt
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp seasoning salt
  • 1/4 tsp tabasco or other hot sauce
• Bring butter and spice mixture to a boil for 2-3 minutes stirring frequently.
• Turn off and set aside.

Bits and Bites

1. Mix 4 cups each of honey Chex (yes honey Chex, it isn’t overwhelming and contrasts with the spices perfectly. Trust me!!) and Cheerios together. Add in 3 cups of pretzels and 1-2 cups of mixed nuts in a large bowl.
2. Mix together well and add the butter and spice mixture.
   • You may need to separate the butter and dry ingredients into a few large bowls in batches for easier mixing.
3. Place bits and bites into glass or foil cooking pans in the oven at 300°F for 45 minutes stirring every 10-15 minutes until the bits and bites are crisp and golden. If your oven cooks too warm turn the temperature down to 250°F.

Tips

If you follow a gluten-free diet be sure to substitute for gluten-free ingredients and check that your spices, Tamari, Worcestershire and soy sauces are all gluten-free.

If your bits and bites are still soggy after 45 minutes of cooking try heating the oven up to 350°F on convection mode for 5 minutes to see if that crisps them up.

If you want to add more fibre try adding 1/2 cup of chia and flax seeds before baking. Look for another high fibre cereal to add or try adding multigrain versions of the cereals listed above. You can also add a bran based cereal to the mix.

Once cooled store in airtight containers or in plastic zipper bags.