Snack lovers rejoice! This month, for our 3x3 food post, we decided to tackle copycat versions of childhood favorite snacks and I couldn't be happier because I love snacks. Like love them. Like a lot. Times a billion. Snacks in the morning, snacks in the afternoon, snacks in bed, snacks with movies, snacks after dinner....basically, it's snacks all day everyday around here. I grew up in a family of big snackers so I guess you could say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. One of my favorite snacks growing up was chex mix. My grandparents always had enough chex cereal on hand to feed the entire nation (my grandfather was a a couponing maniac before couponing was ever a thing) so I'd beg to make chex mix whenever I was there. I didn't always get my way but when I did it was glorious (minus the pretzel pieces, because let's be real "the pretzel pieces were the best part" said no one ever). These days, as I do with most things, I rarely follow the traditional chex mix recipe, instead making up versions that include only my favorite things (I'm looking at you bagel chips). This one not only includes homemade bagel chips but it also has my new favorite snack- pasta crackers. Yes, crackers made from pasta. They're amazing and you'll want to pop them in your mouth like crack(ers). What this mix doesn't have is any of the things that no one really likes anyways....you know the things I'm talking about, the pretzels that everyone eats around, the cracker sticks that you only eat after all the bagel chips are gone (which usually happens in .5 seconds because there are all of 2.87 of them in the entire bag), the peanuts that are left at the bottom of the bag, the chex pieces that have no flavoring on them....yeah, none of that in this mix. This mix is just straight up deliciousness and you'll want to eat it all immediately. But don't because you'll want to save room for some of the amazing Ritz Peanut Butter Crackers Luci is serving up on her blog and then, for a sweet treat, finish up with one (or 3) of Grace's Oatmeal Cream Pies.

Now, we'd love to know- what was your favorite childhood snack?

INGREDIENTS

BAGEL CHIPS

2 bagels (I used everything bagels)
Olive oil spray
Salt

PASTA CRACKERS

2 cups pasta (I used mezzi rigatoni)
Olive oil spray
Salt
Garlic powder

CHEX

8 cups of chex cereal (I used corn)
6 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of worchestire sauce
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 a teaspoon of garlic powder
3 cups cheese crackers
3 cups of corn puffs or popcorn (I used Trader Joe's Sour Cream & Onion Corn Puffs)

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the bagel chips: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the bagels into thin slices, then spread them on a baking sheet. Spray with olive oil spray (or brush with olive oil) then sprinkle generously with salt. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside.
To make the pasta crackers: Bring a medium-size pot of water to a boil. Add in the pasta and cook for only 5 minutes (it is very important that you don't cook them longer). Drain immediately and rinse under cold water. Spread on a baking sheet and spray with olive oil spray. Sprinkle generously with salt and garlic powder and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pasta gets brown and crispy and starts to bubble.
To make the cereal: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Melt butter in the microwave or in a small pan. Add in the worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Spread the cereal on a baking sheet and pour on all but 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture. Sprinkle on the seasonings then toss the cereal around so it gets evenly coated. Begin baking the cereal, taking it out every 15 minutes to stir it around. Toss the bagel chips and pasta crackers in the remaining butter mixture, then add those to the cereal mixture for the final 15 minutes of baking. The total baking time should be about 1 hour, or until the cereal is golden brown.
To assemble the mix: in a large bowl or bag toss together the cereal, the pasta crackers, the bagel chips, the cheese crackers and the popcorn. Store in an airtight container for up to a month.