Football appetizers are good snacks for the ‘kids at home’

By Published On: March 18, 2020

Sister Deanna Clements sent me a recipe for Dilly-Ranch Cheez Its yesterday as a good “kids at home” or “quarantine” snack.
While she is home on spring break this week from her job at the University of Tuscaloosa, she is not on a “Coronacation” as of yet for next week, even though classes will go online for the students.
The Dilly-Ranch Cheez Its are described as a “three-ingredient snack for all the binge-watching football loving, poolside parties.”

Although there is no football, or much of any other sport to watch right now, and it’s too cool for the pool, the eating will continue.
The longer we texted, the more recipes she sent that could be good for those who are in the “social distancing” situation from coronavirus.

“Most definitely the Rice Krispie treats,” are Deanna’s favorite. She still makes them for her kids’ college group gatherings and did them as dorm snacks their freshman year.
“A close second would be the Rolo pretzel thingies, and the kids love them, too,” she said.
The crackers would be right up my alley, but the Rice Krispy variations could prove delicious and interesting, as well as the Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
18 oz. refrigerated chocolate chip
cookie dough
24 chocolate candy kisses, regular
M&Ms or mini M&Ms
Preheat oven to 375°. Line miniature muffin pans with small paper baking cups. Scoop level tablespoon of dough into each cup. Place pan on center rack of oven and bake 12-14 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven. Immediately place one kiss, or other candy, into each cup and gently press down. Return to oven and bake 1-2 minutes longer, just until candy begins to melt. Remove from oven and let cool.

Dilly-Ranch Cheez Its
1 box Cheez Its (plain, regular ones)
1/8 cup Canola oil
1/2 package Ranch seasoning
1 Tbsp. minced fresh dill (optional for the kids)
Dump crackers into large bowl. Pour oil over top and gently stir until all crackers are coated. Sprinkle Ranch seasoning and dill over top, and gently stir again. Pour onto a half sheet pan. Place in cold oven. Turn oven to 225°. Set timer for 10 minutes, stirring at the 4 and minute marks. After 10 minutes remove from oven and allow to cool. Store in airtight container.

Rice Krispie Treat variations
To the basic 4 Tbsp. of butter, 10 oz. marshmallows and 6 cups of rice cereal recipe for Rice Krispie Treats, you can add 1/2 cup Nutella into the mixture when you are melting the marshmallows for making the treats.

Cocoa Krispies or Cocoa Pebbles can be substituted for regular Rice Krispies if you want a chocolaty taste.

For a fruity flavor, substitute Fruity Pebbles. Can add 3 cups Fruity Pebbles with 3 cups Rice Krispies for a fruity taste that is not quite as sweet.

Hay Stacks
(Viola Beckett shared in a Bruce First Baptist BYW cookbook)
9-12 oz. butterscotch chips
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 can chow mein noodles
Peanuts (optional)
A few chocolate chips (optional)
Melt butterscotch chips in saucepan. Stir in peanut butter. Add peanuts and noodles. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let cool.

Cookies
(Sweet Potato Queens Cookbook)
Put stick of butter, 1/2 cup cocoa, 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup milk in pan and cook just until it bubbles a little bit around the sides. Then take if off the heat and dump in three cups quick oatmeal, 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1 running over teaspoon vanilla. Stir it up and drop globs of it onto waxed paper and let it cool.

Rolo Pretzel Turtles
30 Rolo chocolates
30 pretzels (not sticks)
30 pecans, toasted
Preheat oven to 250°. Unwrap Rolos. Place pretzels on baking sheet and top each with a Rolo. Bake in oven 3-5 minutes, until chocolate just begins to melt. The Rolo should be solft, but not completely melted. Remove from oven, place on cooling rack and immediately squish the chocolate with a pecan.

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