Name: Big Game Bites
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 12 cups plain popped popcorn (see notes); 4 cups tortilla chips (bite-sized); 3 cups Crispix cereal; 11.5 ounces mixed nuts (see notes); ½ cup butter; ½ cup light corn syrup; ¼ cup light brown sugar (packed); ¼ cup dark brown sugar (packed); 1 Tbsp chili powder; ½ tsp cinnamon; ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper

Living in Boston, we have been pretty spoiled by having our sports teams in playoffs. This year the Patriots will not be in the Super Bowl, but I am sure that we will watch the big game, cheer a team, and eat snacks. We rarely go to Super Bowl parties, but it is always fun to have a couple of special game-day treats. Plus, I like to make a big batch of something and bring snacks to my brother and my Dad for while they watch the game.

My family discovered this recipe as “Tijuana Tidbits” in Taste of Home Christmas: 465 Recipes For a Merry Holiday. My mother-in-law gave us the book for Christmas. Once we read the recipe, we went out immediately to purchase the ingredients. Everyone enjoyed the mix quite a bit, but we made a few minor adjustments to get the spices to our taste and I’m calling them Big Game Bites. This version is the perfect combination of sweet and salty, with just the right amount of heat. These Big Game Bites might just make the menu for the Super Bowl this year.

Big Game Bites

This snack mix is addictive! It is sweet, salty, and has just a little bit of heat. No matter which team you are cheering for, you will cheer for this mix.

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

12 cups plain popped popcorn see notes
4 cups tortilla chips bite-sized
3 cups Crispix cereal
11.5 ounces mixed nuts see notes
½ cup butter
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup light brown sugar packed
¼ cup dark brown sugar packed
1 Tbsp chili powder
½ tsp cinnamon
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
In a lightly greased roasting pan, combine dry ingredients.
In a small saucepan, melt butter. Add corn syrup, sugars, chili powder, cinnamon, and cayenne. Bring just to a boil, stirring constantly.
Pour butter mixture over dry ingredients. Toss to coat.
Bake for one hour in large roasting pan (or two 9 x 13 baking pans, see notes). Stir gently with a spatula every 20 minutes.
Cool on baking sheets lined with waxed paper.
Store in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

To make popcorn place just shy of ⅓ cup of kernels in a paper lunch bag with its edge folded over. Microwave 2-3 minutes on high. Stop when popping slows or when the bag is at capacity. Repeat to make about 12 cups of popcorn. You can use whatever nuts you like. I used a blend of peanuts, almonds, and pistachios. I think this would be just fine with a single nut as well. Next time I plan to try peanuts only. If you have a roasting pan big enough, use it. Where I do not have a roasting pan, I like mixing the popcorn and tortilla chips in a very large mixing bowl and the cereal and nuts in a smaller bowl. I poured the butter mixture proportionally over the two bowls and then combined the snack mix in two 9 x 13 pans to bake. Adapted, just barely, from "Tijuana Tidbits".