Holiday gatherings are plentiful this time of year, it seems like everybody is inviting us to a party. I know I’ve invited a few folks to our house for snacks and conversation. I love the appetizer buffets and endless dessert tables that appear this time of year!

I think I would rather attend an appetizer and dessert buffet than a fancy sit down dinner most days! I love being able to sample little bites of all types of foods.

I find that sort of buffet easier to put together also. So if you are invited to my house, chances are we are having snacks and not a gourmet meal!

This recipe is quick and simple to prepare, but packs enough flavor to satisfy the munchies. The recipe takes advantage of packaged spice mix that you find in most groceries. You know the envelopes of gravy, soup, stew and meatloaf flavorings I used the chili envelope.

If you like extra spiciness, you may want to add some red pepper or a dash of Tobasco sauce. If you don’t like as much spice, then use only half of the packet. Although, I can say, for the brand I used, the whole packet was not very hot.

Ingredients

8 TB butter or margarine
1 envelope (1.5 oz) chili spice powder
1 pkg (12 oz) oyster crackers
½ pkg (12 oz) chow mein noodles

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt the butter in a small pan on the stove or in a microwavable bowl. Mix the chili powder spice packet into the butter and stir until combined. Place the crackers and chow mein noodles in a large bowl. Pour the spiced butter over the cracker mix. Stir with a wooden spoon until all crackers are evenly coated. Spread coated crackers evenly on a large baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Cool and serve.

Approximate Nutrition Information: Servings Per Recipe: 12, Amount Per Serving: Calories: 341, Fat: 19g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 527g, Total Carbs: 37g, Protein: 5g.

Make it a Meal: Serve these crackers as a snack for family game night or New Year’s Eve. They make a great addition to soups and salads also.

Variations: Toss in some slivered almonds, small pretzels or other small crackers. If you are watching your sodium intake, use unsalted crackers and a no salt variety of spice mix.

This snack is hard to stop munching on. I had to package up the bowlful into small plastic bags for snacking at my house, or we would eat the whole bowl in one sitting. Of course, if you are having a party or feeding teenagers, that is not a problem!

If you fill a Mason jar with the snack mix, tie a pretty bow around the top and add a gift tag you have got a good gift to give the neighbors, a teacher or co-worker. Place the ready-made mix in a basket with the ingredients and a recipe card if you have a cook on your gift list. They will love having the container of crackers to snack on while they make up their own batch!

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