Reindeer Kibble is my version of Chex Mix. How cute, right?
This recipe was inspired by Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer and what the reindeer would eat. I also wanted to do something that was kid friendly to whip up. My toddler loves cooking with me so I like to include him whenever I can.
This is great for kids to help with, he loved pouring all the ingredients together and tossing them up. Even if it gets a little messy, it really isn’t that bad on cleanup. He was very proud of himself, he couldn’t stop eating his work when it was done. If only I could get him to be that enthusiastic about vegetables 😉
My chex mix is just a little tweaked from the original version. I add a little more butter and seasoning. Also, I like to add sharp cheddar and parmesan. I love cashews so I do that instead of peanuts.
Cooking Tips
Cook the chex mix “low and slow” at 250 degrees for around 1 hour. This will ensure nothing burns and it still gets nice and crispy. Once toss the mix around 3 times, you don’t want the cereal to start to break. Toss from the bottom upwards to make sure you aren’t agitating the cereal too much.
You can save this in an airtight container for about 2 weeks. I just do a couple large ziplocks and suck as much air out as possible. You can even fill small goodie bags and give them out as little gifts!
It’s great to have just in case you want to put a little something out for visitors to munch on or just for movie nights with the family. There’s something for everyone in this mix and is always a crowd favorite. Feel free to customize it based on what you like too!
Enjoy!
Reindeer Kibble
Equipment
- Large Roasting Pan
Ingredients
- 1 box Mixed Chex Cereal Corn & Rice
- 1 box Cheese Its
- 1 box Mini Ritz Crackers
- 2 cups Pretzel Sticks
- 2 cups Cashews
- 1 cup Sharp Cheddar freshly grated
- 1 cup Parmesan freshly grated
Butter Sauce
- 1 cup Butter
- 2 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tbsp Onion Powder
- 2 tbsp Ranch Powder
- ½ tsp Dried Rosemary ground
- ¼ tsp Dried Oregano ground
- 1 tsp Seasoning Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper or to taste
- ¼ cup Dijon Mustard
Optional
- Flake Salt to finish, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
- In a large roaster pan, add the chex, ritz, cheese its, pretzels and cashews. Toss together.
- Melt the butter in a bowl and add all the seasonings. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour the butter mixture all over the chex mix and toss.
- Add the cheeses and toss again.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes, tossing only a couple times.
- Let cool and enjoy. Will stay fresh in an air tight container for 2 weeks.
