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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
As I am reading the ingredients out, my husband is insisting that I give this a whirl this week! Stay tuned 🙂
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Excellent, let me know what you think. It’s a household favourite here. Although I do recommend you wait for a cooler day as you need the oven.
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