All sorts of goodies can go into classic snack mixes, but here the concentration is on south-of-the-border flavors: corn cereal and chips, cheesy crackers, tropical nuts and spicy seasonings. Because it keeps well for several days, this is a great little gift for teachers and babysitters, and for yourself, too! Package in cellophane bags tied up with ribbon.
3 cups whole grain tortilla chips, broken into bite-size pieces
2 cups mini pretzel logs or twists
2 cups Corn Chex cereal
1 cup cornflakes cereal
1 cup Goldfish crackers
1 cup macadamia nuts, halved, or peanuts
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1. Heat oven to 250°F. Combine chips, pretzels, cereals, crackers and nuts in large bowl.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients in small bowl. Drizzle over chip mixture; toss to coat. Spread on large rimmed baking sheet.
3. Bake 1 hour or until fragrant and lightly toasted, stirring every 10 minutes. Serve warm or cool completely. (Snack mix can be made 5 days ahead. Store in an airtight container.)
12 cups
PER 1/4 CUP: 65 calories, 5 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 1 g protein,5.5 g carbohydrate, 5 mg cholesterol, 85 mg sodium, .5 g fiber