Recipe Sunday: Nuts and Bolts

Sunday is such a wonderful day for cooking.  It is a day made for long, lazy lunches and for using the oven.  Today, I tackled a snack that my family has traditionally saved only for Christmastime.  My feelings on the subject are that if I like something a lot, it shouldn't just be served once a year.  I use a recipe that my mom gave me, but I have tweaked it heavily.

When I cook, I don't really measure the ingredients I use.  I use my sight and my taste buds to tell me what needs to be done.  This does pose a bit of a problem when it comes to writing a recipe for people who won't have me leaning over their shoulders in their kitchens, telling them what to do.  I will try my best to muddle through here, but please know that you can do anything you want with this recipe.  Recipes are meant to be changed and added to, improved and loved. 

This recipe takes 2 hours to make (perfect for a Sunday afternoon) and is cooked in a 250 degree F oven. 
You will need a roasting tin for this operation.  I don't have one, so I bought a disposable tin one (if you are careful and if you wash it out after each use, you can use it for a long time).  The quantities I have given fit into my roasting tin.  Judge accordingly.  As well, the weights and measurements I've given are approximations and they are according to my taste.  If you love Cheerios, add more.  If you hate Cheese Nips (although how could you?) then leave them out and add something else.  People have even been known to add nuts.  Go crazy.  Create.

You will need:

Photo by me.

250g (or one small box) Cheese Nips or other bite-sized cheesy snacking cracker.

Photo by me.

150g each of two types of pretzels.  I've used pretzel sticks and pretzel twists.

Photo by me.

150g (or half of a small box) of Cheerios.  Don't use Honey Nut Cheerios.  That would probably be weird.

Photo by me.

175g (or half of a box) of Crispix or Chex cereal.

Photo by me.

300g (or half of a box) of Shreddies.

Photo by me.

3/4 of a cup of Worchestershire sauce.

Photo by me.

2 tbsp of garlic powder.

Photo by me.

2 tbsp of celery salt.

Photo by me.

1/2 cup of butter cut into small cubes.


Method:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Put the Cheese Nips, pretzels, Cheerios, Crispix and Shreddies together in a roasting pan (disposable or otherwise).

Photo by me.

Add roughly 1/4 of the butter cubes, 1/4 of the Worchestershire sauce, 1/4 of the celery salt and 1/4 of the garlic powder to the mix.  Combine this with your hands or with a plastic spatula.  Put onto the middle or bottom rack of the oven.

After 15 minutes, take the pan out of the oven.  Add another 1/4 of the butter cubes, 1/4 of the Worchestershire sauce, 1/4 of the celery salt and 1/4 of the garlic powder.  Stir.  Put this in the oven.

Repeat this every fifteen minutes until the seasonings and butter are finished (two more times, for a total of four).

For the last hour of cooking time, take the pan out of the oven every fifteen minutes and stir to mix more completely (for a total of four times).  Do not add anything more at this point.

After two hours, remove from the oven and leave to cool.  Enjoy!!!!

Photo by me.