I know that typically game day is attributed to being a “guy thing” – you know, all the guys hanging out and screaming at horrible calls made by referees. In my family, I am that guy yelling at the television. SEC football is a big thing here in the South, but I prefer the NFL, probably due to being raised mostly in the north. College football isn’t as big in Minnesota. I was raised as a die-hard Minnesota Vikings fan and, even though I don’t watch the games as much as I used to, the Vikings are still my team and I root for them whether they win or lose. And like usual, we made it to the playoffs and promptly lost our first game (against the Seahawks this year). Nick likes to rub it in my face when his favorite childhood team, the Packers, win or get further than the Vikings do, so he was gloating about the Packers winning their first playoff game. BUT it looks like they aren’t going to the Super Bowl this year either. My oldest two kids have taken a liking to watching football, so I’m sure they will try and stay up to watch the Super Bowl this year.
With the big game coming up, I am looking for some tried-and-true snack recipes for game day. I try to make something that I know my kids can eat and they love snack mixes. It was a no-brainer for me to make this Frito Snack Mix. It’s salty and sweet and crunchy and chewy. It has corn chips, cereal, a caramel-eque coating, pretzels, and M&Ms. These are all things my kids LOVE and seeing them happy makes me happy.
We will most definitely be enjoying this again for the Super Bowl. I’m predicting that it will come down to the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots and I really hope the Broncos whoop some Patriot-tail! I discovered a few more goodies in the KM archives, like these Football Cookies from Jenna and a meal plan from Julie. You can also check out my newest recipe, Smoky Tex Mex Sloppy Joes.
(Print)
Ingredients:
- 1 bag (10.5 oz.) Fritos corn chips
- 2 cups Rice Chex cereal
- 2 cups mini pretzel twists
- 1 1/2 cups nuts (I used a tin of mixed nuts)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup mini M&Ms
Directions:
- In a large bowl, mix together Fritos, Chex, pretzels, and nuts.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the sugar and corn syrup, stirring to help it a long. Bring it to a boil and boil for 4 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat.
- Pour the butter mixture over the top of the Fritos mixture and toss to coat.
- Place into a large roasting pan (or aluminum pan for easy clean up) and bake in a preheated 350F degree oven for 8 minutes.
- Remove from oven and stir. Bake for 8 more minutes.
- Pour contents of the roasting pan onto a parchment paper or wax paper-lined countertop and let cool.
- Break into smaller pieces and then sprinkle with M&Ms. Store in an airtight container. Keeps for about a week.
Recipe from Cookies & Cups, as seen on Recipe Girl.
How can you make it So it’s not so hard?
Hi Terri! The only thing that I could think of to lessen how the caramel hardens is to lower the amount of corn syrup used. I don’t know how it would affect the recipe as a whole, if the mix would end up more greasy, etc., but if you do try it that way, please let me know how it turns out. Maybe make a small batch as a test batch – just in case things go a-rye!
Thank you . I will have to try that and let you know.
After the sweet mixture has cooked stir in about a teaspoon of baking soda. This will make it bubbly and it will spread around better and not be so hard.
Thank you for the awesome recipe!! I’ve made this over and over now!
I mix up the base ingredients with different munchies, and it’s excellent everytime! The whole family gobbles it up!
Thanks Again!
If I were to make this for an after football game snack for 17/18 year old boys….I would need to put it in a zip lock bag for individual players. Would this mixture be okay in a ziploc bag and if so, do you think the mixture would be okay in the bag a day or 2 ahead of game day?
I think would keep perfectly fine in ziploc bags as long as it wasn’t sitting out in direct heat. I feel like it would probably melt the brown sugar mixture.
Have you ever tried to freeze it?
I have not tried to freeze this. I don’t know how well it would freeze and then thaw since it does have a cereal base. I would be weary that it would make the cereal soggy.
I’ve frozen your recipe in Ziplock bags and it is great. Not soggy at all.
Thanks for the great recipe. Very addictive!
That’s good to hear! May I ask how you “defrosted” them? Did you set the bag out and let it come to room temp closed or open?
I am a candy maker so I would suggest a candy themometer. I tried this recipe and cooking it 4 mins at a boil is too long. It will get too hard. You then are cooking it in the oven for another 16 mins and this will make it harder. Might I suggest that you cook the sauce for 3 min at a simmer (soft roll) and when you put in oven 4 mins per flip. Mine came out and no teeth broke. The flavor is AWESOME. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
I’ve made this twice now – loved it both times now. It’s officially on the favorite list.BUT – I didn’t have Karo syrup. I used what I had and did 1/4 c molasses and 1/4 c pure maple syrup instead. So GOOD!!!