I just spent the last three days in my kitchen — stirring and tossing and tasting and bagging and then stirring and tossing and tasting and bagging some more. Eighteen batches of Covington Christmas Party Mix, three batches of Firecrackers and one recipe of Cinnamon Sugar Pecans later, I’m all set for Christmas treat sharing. Perfect for baking up to several weeks in advance, these delicious snacks make wonderful Christmas goodie bags for friends, family, teachers, postal workers, bank tellers – all the people in your life that you’d like to say “thank you” to. They also make great hostess gifts. There’s no better time than Christmastime to share a gift from your kitchen. Merry Christmas!
Covington Christmas Party Mix
The secret ingredient in my party mix is the lemon juice! Make your own version of party mix with these seasonings and use 12 cups of your favorite snack stuff.
1 stick butter, melted
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons seasoned salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups corn cereal
2 cups rice cereal
1 cup wheat cereal
2 cups pretzels
2 cups small bagel chips
1 cup cheese-flavored mini crackers
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup mixed nuts
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a small bowl, combine butter with seasonings and lemon juice. Place remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Pour butter mixture over snack mix, toss lightly to coat well. Spread party mix evenly on two baking sheets. Bake until ingredients are completely dry, stirring every 20 minutes. Serves 12 to 15.
Cinnamon Sugar Pecans
Perfect for sharing, snacking and on salads, these sweet pecans are sure to become one of your favorites!
¼ cup sugar
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg white, beaten
1 pound pecan halves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar, cinnamon, and egg white together. Pour mixture over pecans. Coat thoroughly. Spread on a foil-lined baking pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until crispy and dry, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool completely; store leftover pecans in a tightly sealed container. Makes 1 pound.
Firecrackers
These fiery cheese snacks are addictive!
1 (21-ounce) box Cheez-Its
½ cup vegetable oil
2 (1-ounce) packages ranch dressing mix (5 tablespoons)
3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Combine all in ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Toss to coat well. Spread seasoned crackers on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes, until crackers are crispy and completely dry. Cool completely and store in an airtight container. Makes about 10 cups.
The writer owns Catering by Debbi Covington and is the author of three cookbooks, Celebrate Beaufort, Celebrate Everything! and Dining Under the Carolina Moon. For more great recipes and to view her cooking demonstrations, visit and subscribe to Debbi’s YouTube channel. Debbi’s website address is www.cateringbydebbicovington.com. She may be reached at 843-525-0350 or by email at dbc@cateringbydebbicovington.com.
