Game Night Treats

Every Wednesday evening, we have Family Fun Night. Often, that means we pull out games and spend the evening playing together. Whether it's Family Flux or Action Princesses - in which the princesses get to save the prince - we tend to have a great time. But sometimes we get hungry. I mean, dinner was earlier and playing games is hard work, er, fun. So what are we to do? Well, nothing pairs with game night quite like yummy snacks and few bring as many smiles as my Nutella Puppy Chow.

If you've ever made traditional puppy chow snack mix, you know you're going to be mixing chocolate chips and peanut butter, drizzling it over Chex cereal, and shaking powdered sugar over the entire mess. I try to corral the mess a bit by shaking the mix in a large paper grocery bag and then tossing the bag when the mix has been removed to parchment paper to cool. It helps … at least, a little. This delicious mess is called puppy chow because, while absolutely delicious, it does bear a striking resemblance to dog food!

Anyway, my version takes an already simple recipe and makes it even simpler! Less peanut butter and a healthy application of Nutella instead of chocolate chips. It doesn't need to be melted -- just warmed enough to pour and coat the cereal. I love using a combination of corn and rice Chex. It's a little more interesting and still leaves the mix entirely gluten free! However, it is a pretty messy snack mix, so Family Fun Night tends to see it served in little bowls with chopsticks … to make it even more fun!