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Here’s the deal about cereal: it ain’t just for breakfast!  I buy lots of cereal and we only have one “cereal-for-breakfast” eater in our house.  What do I use it for?  Snacks!  Appetizers!  Desserts!   Here are some of my favorite, tastiest, easiest ways to use cereal!

Cheerio Bars

Cheerio Treats
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. Margarine or butter
1 pkg. mini marshmallows (6 cups)
1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
5 cups Cheerios cereal (plain or Honey Nut is great!)

Directions:
1. Grease a 9×13 pan well. Microwave margarine in a large bowl on high for 45 seconds or until melted.
2. Stir in marshmallows, coating with margarine. Microwave on high 1 1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring after 45 seconds.
3. Mix in peanut butter and immediately add cereal. Lightly mix and coat well. With greased spatula or wax paper press into pan.
4. Makes about 24. Variations: Mix 1 cup of M & M’s or raisins and a 1/2 cup of peanuts. Add at the same time you do the cereal.

Cherry Bing Bars
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
10 ounces marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1  ½ tablespoons Cherry Jell-o (yup, the powder)
8 ounces dark chocolate (can use regular chocolate chips if you don’t have dark chocolate)

Directions:
1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and Cherry Jell-o and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
2. Add in cereal. Stir until well coated.
3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 inch pan coated with cooking spray.
4. In microwave, melt chocolate.
5. Spread chocolate over the Rice Krispie treats.
6. Allow to set for at least an hour.
7. Cut into squares. Enjoy!

Crispix Snack
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (melted)
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
17 oz Crispix Cereal
1 jar of dry roasted peanuts

Directions:

1. Mix butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup and boil for two minutes over medium high heat. Stir constantly.
2. Place cereal in big brown grocery bag. Mix and pour brown sugar mixture over cereal and mix.
3. Microwave two minutes on high. Remove bag from microwave to stir mixture. Microwave mixture two more minutes.
4. Remove bag from microwave and stir mixture. Dump contents of bag onto wax paper to cool.

(Don’t worry if some of the cereal contents stick to the bag. Only use what easily falls out of the bag.)

Goody Goody Bars
Ingredients:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
6 cups cornflakes
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with foil, allowing excess to overhang pan edges. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cook the brown sugar and corn syrup in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture is boiling, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Off the heat, add the peanut butter and peanuts, stirring until the peanut butter is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Add the cornflakes to the pot and stir until coated.
4. Working quickly, scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Using a greased spatula, press the mixture into the bottom and corners of the pan. Let cool completely at room temperature on a wire rack for about 1 hour or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5. Microwave the chocolate chips in a bowl at 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate over the cooled bars and spread into an even layer. Allow the chocolate to cool, about 15 minutes (or pop the pan back in the refrigerator to speed up the process, it’ll be set in 5-10 minutes). Using the foil overhang, lift the bars from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares.

Storage: Bars should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Puppy Chow
Ingredients:
9 cups Chex cereal (Corn, Rice or Chocolate Chex)
1 cup semi sweet choc chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup powder sugar

Directions:
1. Microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter on high for 1 minute.  Stir and microwave another 30 sec or until smooth.
2.Stir in vanilla and pour over cereal and stir well.
3. Place in large zipper bag with powdered sugar and shake.  Cool on wax paper.  Store in container or zipper bag.

Indoor S’mores
Ingredients:
1 (13 oz) pkg Golden Grahams
1 ½ cup chocolate chips
5 tablespoons butter
¼ cup corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
5 cup marshmallows

Directions:
1. Melt marshmallows, chocolate chips, corn syrup, and butter in large bowl in microwave until melted.  Stir every minute.
2. When melted, add the vanilla.  Stir in completely.  Add Golden Grahams and 1 additional cup of marshmallows.
3. Pour into greased 9×13 pan.  Let sit to harden for a little bit.

Scotcheroos
Ingredients:
1 cup  light corn syrup
1 cup  sugar
1 1/2 cup  peanut butter
6 cups  Rice Krispies
1 cup chocolate chips
1 2/3 cup  butterscotch chips

Directions:
1. Coat 9×13 pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine corn syrup, sugar and peanut butter in sauce pan on stove.  Stir frequently.
3. When melted, pour over Rice Krispies.  Stir until well coated.
4. Press onto the 9 x 13 pan.
5. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together.  If doing in the microwave, be careful to not overdo.  It burns quite easily.
6. Spread evenly over cereal mixture.
7. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes, then cut into bars.  Cut them small – a little goes a long way!

Cornflake Clusters
These are fun because they’re best eaten frozen.  And because you can make them as big or as little as you want.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. peanut butter
1 1/2 c. butterscotch chips
Cornflakes

Directions:
1. Melt peanut butter and butterscotch chips in saucepan over low heat, stirring often.
2. Pour in desired amount of cornflakes and mix into melted peanut butter and chips. Start with 2-3 cups or so of Cornflakes and add more as you want.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a wax paper-covered cookie sheet.
4. Place in freezer for about 5 minutes to firm.
5. After you take them out, pluck them from your cookie sheet.
6. Store frozen!

Chex Mix
Chex Mix might seem like a boring thing, but you don’t have to make the standard Chex Mix.  On the Chex website, they have tons of variations!  Here are my favorites:

Apple Cinnamon Sweet and Nutty Snack Mix
Ingredients
5 cups Apple Cinnamon Chex® cereal
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1 cup mini-pretzel twists
¼ cup butter or margarine
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup candy-coated chocolate candies

Preparation Directions:
1. In large microwavable bowl, mix cereal, peanuts and pretzels.
2. In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave butter, brown sugar and corn syrup uncovered on High 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute; stir until smooth. Stir in baking soda until foamy. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated.
3. Microwave uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring and scraping bowl every 30 seconds, just until cereal begins to brown. Cool 5 minutes; stir in candies. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool; break into bite-size pieces. Store in airtight container.

Chex Caramel Chocolate Drizzles
Ingredients
3 cups Corn Chex® cereal
3 cups Rice Chex® cereal
½ bag (14-oz size) caramels (about 25)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons milk
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation Directions:
1. In large microwavable bowl, mix cereals.
2. In medium microwavable bowl, microwave caramels, butter and milk uncovered on High 2 to 3 minutes, stirring after each minute, until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over cereals; gently stir until evenly coated.
3. Microwave on High 3 to 4 minutes, stirring after each minute, until just beginning to brown. Spread on waxed paper to cool.
4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High about 1 minute or until chocolate can be stirred smooth. Drizzle over snack. Refrigerate until set. Store in airtight container.

Snickerdoodle Chex Mix
Ingredients
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups Cinnamon Chex® cereal
2 cups Chocolate Chex® cereal
4 cups popped popcorn
¼ cup butter or margarine

Preparation Directions
1. In small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; set aside. In large microwavable bowl, mix cereals and popcorn.
2. In 1-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave butter uncovered on High about 40 seconds or until melted. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated.
3. Microwave uncovered on High 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute. Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture evenly over cereal mixture; stir. Sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture; stir. Microwave 1 minute longer. Spread on waxed paper or paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.

Chex Caramel Corn Mix
This is almost just like Cracker Jack!

Ingredients:
4 cups popped microwave popcorn
4 ½  cups Corn Chex® or Rice Chex® cereal
½ cup honey-roasted peanuts, if desired
¼ cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1. Remove and discard unpopped kernels from popped popcorn. In large microwavable bowl, mix popcorn, cereal and peanuts; set aside.
2. In medium microwavable bowl, microwave butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and vanilla uncovered on High about 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until mixture is boiling. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated.
3. Microwave uncovered on High 5 to 6 minutes, stirring and scraping bowl after every minute. Spread on waxed paper to cool, stirring occasionally to break up. Store in airtight container.

Jayme is a wife to 1 and, so far, a mother to two little boys. She coupons, but isn’t super extreme about it. She price matches and loves it! While she likes to cook, she’s in the stage of life where simple is usually better! She never knows how many hands she’ll have free at dinner time! You can find her at No Regrets Living.

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