Chex Mix Galore!

Let me introduce this posting by saying that Hubs and I are just one gallon jug purchase away from being officially addicted to Frank's Red Hot Sauce. I started dipping popcorn in it for a movie snack when I couldn't have butter anymore, and Hubs soon joined in- and then he went Frank's-crazy (as he does with any condiment he loves- Siracha anyone?). We are obsessed.

The Holy Grail

Needless to say, when I saw a recipe for Buffalo Chex Mix (as in Buffalo wings flavor, which are made with Frank's Red Hot Sauce) we made it ASAP -of course with substitutes for or omissions of the butter, pretzels, crackers, and ranch dressing mix- and gobbled it up. I love that Chex has jumped whole-heartedly on the gluten free bandwagon to provide a great product for us intolerant/allergic. I just wish they'd take the dairy out of Chocolate Chex - it is so yummy!

Anyway, after we made the Buffalo snack mix I got inspired to make a variety of Chex mixes to give to our neighbors and friends, and the male family members (they all love spice and snacks!) this Christmas season. It is quite affordable, especially when you have a great store like Winco in your area that sells a box for $1.88 and all the cereal boxes have a 50 cents off coupon on them in addition-score! So I've stocked up on Rice, Corn, and Honey Nut Chex cereals, various ingredients to make the Buffalo Chex Mix, and several others like Pink Powder Puff Crunch, Hot Buttered [Rum!], and Hot & Spicy (a zesty notch up from the original flavors). And don't forget the old standby, Muddy Buddies!!! Use dark chocolate, a soy-free butter sub, and almond butter for a CF soy-free twist on the usual. Hubs made a batch of this for me during finals week, and it was heavenly-the best part of course being that it was GFCF soy-free and egg-free!

On Friday evening I made a batch of the Buttered Rum recipe with my friend so I could send it home with her to enjoy before Christmas. After she went home, I made a double batch of the Hot & Spicy version -it is already gone. The recipe has the traditional flavors of the original Chex mix like Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, PLUS Frank's Red Hot! Irresistible.

Butter Rum Chex Mix

Hot & Spicy Chex Mix

*Note: As you can see, I used pretzels and cheddar crackers in this mix. For those that are so intolerant that they cannot eat food that has touched gluten, leave out those two ingredients, or use GF pretzels and a rice cracker with cheese flavor. For CF, obviously skip the cheese crackers. For those that need nut-free cuisine, or substitute sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

Alright, well I just wanted to share some pics of the two mixes, and links to the recipes. If you are looking for a great gift for a GF-er, make some Chex mix! The Chex site has a clearly designated "gluten free" area of their recipe section, and they have two areas - one for snack mixes, and the other for bars and other desserts! They will be so delighted at the "safe" snack they can munch on, and even more delighted that they didn't have to make it themself! So head over to www.Chex.com, hit the grocery store for a pre-Christmas sale on the cereal, and spend no more than 15 minutes in the kitchen. It makes a great gift nestled in a cute wintry tin with a ribbon and tag tied around it. Affordable, delicious, and from the heart - no high-priced gift can beat that!