Pumpkin Pie Spice Chex Mix

The holidays are upon us, and chances are good that you will attend at least one dinner or party in which you are asked to bring a snack. Or maybe not, but if you're like me, you hate to show up empty handed. While a bottle of wine is always a nice gesture to bring your host, sometimes it's more pleasing to think outside the box and bring something homemade. Or maybe you you just need a really tasty snack in your home that you don't plan on sharing at all. Hey, I'm not judging!

Whatever the case, I've got you covered! I've made this Chex mix recipe several times now, and it's been a big hit with both my own family and the guests receiving it. I'm warning you now, it's hard to stop at just a handful. 

The ingredients are simple, and this is the perfect way to infuse some pumpkin spice into your snacks without baking. Whipping up a batch takes no time at all, and I promise you this is a recipe you'll keep coming back to. Throw it in a mason jar, add a ribbon, and you have yourself the perfect hostess gift!

Pumpkin Pie Spice Chex Mix

(adapted from Peanut Butter Fingers)

Makes approximately 8 cups of Chex Mix

6 cups Rice Chex cereal

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chopped dried apple slices

1/2 cup dried cranberries

6 small-medium sized chopped oatmeal cookies

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.

2. In a large microwaveable bowl, combine Chex cereal and chopped pecans.

3. In a microwaveable dish, microwave the butter until melted (approx 30-40 seconds). Then add vanilla extract.

4. Pour butter mixture over the Chex cereal and pecans, then add the brown sugar and spice mixture from step 1. Stir until well coated. 

5. Place Chex mix in microwave and microwave on high for one minute increments, stirring after each minute. Repeat approximately 3 - 4 times, until mixture begins to brown. 

6. Stir in chopped dried apples, cranberries, and chopped oatmeal cookies. Allow mixture to cool before storing in an airtight container. 

Enjoy!

Cucumber Tomato & Feta Hummus Dip

It's pretty much a given, that if you invite me to your house and ask me to bring something to eat, this is the dish I'm going to bring. 

Life is busy, and while I love trying new dishes, I find it really stressful when you have to come up with something to bring to a potluck, or a party. What if no likes what you bring? (My worst fear). 

For a long time, I always wished I had my own "signature" potluck/party-going dish. Something I could be counted on to bring and something people looked forward to eating. And something that didn't take a ton of time to prepare, and calls for minimal ingredients. Friends, I'm happy to say, I finally have that dish!

I first ate a version of this at one of my book club meetings back when I was still living in Edmonton, and I absolutely loved it. I knew I needed to try and recreate it at home. It takes your regular old hummus with veggies and kicks it up a notch. It looks appealing, it's healthy and you it will also satisfy any of your vegetarian friends out there. Or you can make it vegan by skipping the feta altogether (which I have on numerous occasions when I don't have any on hand, and it still tastes just as delicious). 

Cucumber Tomato & Feta Hummus Dip

1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved

1 small cucumber or 4-5 mini cucumbers, diced

1/2 cup cubed feta

1 tbsp chopped parsley (optional)

Hummus (approx half a container)

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp crushed red chili pepper 

salt & pepper to taste

Add the tomatoes, cucumber (I prefer to leave the skin on as it adds a nice crunch), feta and parsley to a bowl.  

Drizzle with the olive oil.

Toss with crushed red chili pepper, salt and pepper. I usually taste test here and add more chili, salt, or pepper as I feel is necessary. 

Let sit for at least 30 minutes, but if you're in a rush, that's okay too. Sometimes I even make this part the night before to really 'marinate' the flavours. Either way, it will stay taste great. 

Spread a thin layer of hummus on the bottom of the dish you will serve the dip in. I typically use about half of a regular sized container of hummus, but you can use more if you wish. You will want to use a dish that has a lip. 

Using a slotted spoon to drain the excess liquid, top the hummus with the cucumber, tomato and feta mixture. Depending on the size of dish you use, you may have some mix left over. 

Serve with your choice of crackers or tortilla chips! 

This keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days.

What's your go-to potluck or party dish?

Caramel Apple Nachos

For years, and I do mean years, whenever I was asked to bring a dish to a potluck dinner, you could count on me to bring a 7-layer dip. But not a homemade one, a store bought one of course. On the off chance that I was asked to bring a desert, then I grabbed whatever looked delicious at the grocery store.

I think you could attribute this to equal parts laziness and wanting to play it safe. What if no one liked or ate what I went to all the trouble to make on my own? I'm not set up for that kind of humiliation. Everyone likes a 7-layer dip though.

In the last few years though, chalk it up to age, I guess, I've gotten much more adventurous in the pot-luck dinner contribution. And a little less lazy. Now, I find it fun to bring something new that I am actually proud to brag about having made on my own. I never take anything I've never tried out on my own family first though. I'm not THAT confident yet.

So where am I going with this? The key to bringing something fun and delicious to a pot-luck dinner is to have a small list of a few "tried and true" recipes. Simple ingredients, simple instructions and guaranteed to be hits.

Caramel Apple Nachos checks off all the boxes. And the best part is, it can pass as a fun appetizer OR a healthy(er) dessert option! Win, win!

Here's all you need:

Caramel Apple Nachos

4-5 Apples (I used Honeycrisp because they are my favourite, but they can be pricey.).
Lemon Juice
Chocolate Chips
Shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened - I prefer unsweetened)
Pecans, roughly chopped
Caramel Sauce


Slice your apples into thin, even slices.

Spread out apple slices onto a plate or platter, or even a shallow casserole dish.

Pour a little bit of lemon juice into a bowl and then brush all apple slices with it. This will prevent your apples from going brown before you even serve your dish. In all the times I've made this, the lemon juice was undetectable.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips, shredded coconut and chopped pecans evenly over the apple slices.

Drizzle caramel sauce all over.

Super easy and yummy! And the topping options are endless (there are about a million and one versions of this floating around the Internet). You can mix it up to suit what you have on hand or what you like. I made this one based on what taste combinations I prefer and what I already had in the pantry. Sully will not eat apples unless they are in sauce form, but one day, when he comes around to them, I see myself making this in mini portions as a fun snack or desert!

What's your go-to potluck dinner appetizer or dessert?