Crunchy Cherry Party Mix 

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Serves: 20 person(s)

Preparation Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 25 mins

Yield: 20 x 1/2 cup servings

This easy to prepare snack is a party and holiday favorite!
Per serving: 93 calories, 2.2 g fat and 202 mg sodium
Saves: 55 calories, 4.5 g fat and 220 mg sodium over regular Chex Mix

Ingredients:

This party mix is a nice alternative to traditional Chex Mix. The makeover recipe adds dried cherries for extra flavor, replaces salt with spices, and reduces the amount of butter/spread.

To learn more about recipe makeovers see CalorieKing's library article "Smart Substitutes: Your Guide to Low-Calorie Cooking Alternatives".

Recipe Makeover

4 cup bite-size rice square cereal (such as Rice Chex) * 2 cup bite-size wheat square cereal (such as Wheat Chex) 2 cup broken whole-grain Melba toast 2 cup small fat-free pretzel twists 3 Tbsp vegetable spread (such as Smart Balance), melted ** 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp chili powder 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp onion powder 1/8 tsp ground red pepper 1 1/2 cup dried tart cherries, de-seeded

Traditional Recipe
5 Tbsp butter 1 1/3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 2 1/2 cup bite-size rice square cereal (such as Rice Chex) 2 1/2 cup bite-size wheat square cereal (such as Wheat Chex) 2 1/2 cup bite-size rice square cereal (such as Corn Chex) 13 Tbsp pretzels 13 Tbsp bagel chips, pieces 13 Tbsp mixed nuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300ºF.

Put rice cereal, wheat cereal, Melba toast and pretzels in a large bowl; stir to mix. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, stir together melted vegetable spread, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper. Drizzle over cereal mixture. Toss to coat.

Spread cereal mixture in a 15 x 10 x 1-inch (or a 13 x 9 x 2-inch) baking pan. Bake in preheated oven about 25 minutes, stirring every 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven; stir in dried cherries.

Pour onto aluminum foil to cool completely. Store in a tightly-covered container for up to 1 week.

Variations:

* Can replace rice cereal with corn square cereal, such as Corn Chex.

** An equal amount of butter can replace vegetable spread, if desired, and if a dairy-free recipe is not necessary.

Serving suggestion is not included in the nutritional analysis.

Author:

Cherry Marketing Institute, adapted by Family Health Network
Choose Cherries