#10DaysofTailgate: Cinnamon Puppy Chow

Take regular puppy chow up a notch with this cinnamon-infused version. You gotta have some sweets for tailgating, right?!

It’s Monday and the first day of a week’s worth of recipes I’m sharing as part of #10DaysofTailgate, the special blogging event I am participating in through the rest of the month. This event has been graciously organized by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla. While you’re thinking about it, be sure to pop over here to read all about the event and enter the giveaway. You won’t regret it! 🙂

Puppy chow–always puppy chow, never muddy buddies–is THE snack I associate with friends. One of my good friends from high school always made puppy chow for Christmas gifts, packaging it in cute tins. My college friends and I are also huge puppy chow fans. Almost all of our post-college get-togethers [which are sadly few and far between, since the five of us live in three states and three countries: Tennessee, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Korea, and France :(] involve this simple peanut butter and chocolate snack. Though we have many puppy chow memories, my favorite is when we made puppy chow in a hotel room during one of the girl’s wedding weekends. This was ridiculously fun, as you may imagine, since we bought all the supplies at Target including some cheap-o plastic bowls to use in the microwave for melting the peanut butter mixture. Oh my, such fun! I don’t think that hotel room has ever seen so much powdered sugar!!

Since puppy chow and I have such history, I have a hard time with all these “variations” floating around the internet. But sometimes tailgating calls for something a little special, right? So I sacrificed [ha] and whipped up this easy amped up version of puppy chow….CINNAMON Puppy Chow. And guess what? It is awesome… full of that chocolate peanut butter goodness you’re used to, but with a fun fall cinnamon-y twist. Please try it and experience the awesomeness for yourself! I bet you’ll love it!

Cinnamon Puppy Chow

Servings: 20
Time: 15 minutes
Print

from 4 Little Fergusons

Ingredients:

2 cups chocolate or cinnamon chips
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 boxes Chex cereal, divided [13 ounce box Cinnamon Chex; 16 ounce Corn Chex=18 cups total]
3 cups powdered sugar, divided

Directions:

In a saucepan set over low heat, melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter together, stirring continually. When melted, remove from heat and stir in vanilla and cinnamon.

Place half of the cereal in a large bowl and pour half of the chocolate mixture on top. Carefully stir, then transfer to a gallon-size ziploc. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients, using a new bag too. Divide powdered sugar between two bags and shake to combine.

Combine both bags into a large tupperware, making sure to stir together so the Cinnamon Chex is mixed in.

Here’s what the rest of the crew brought to the table…

Starters
Grilled Shrimp with Bloody Mary Dip by Curious Cuisiniere
Carnitas-Stuffed Potatoes with Carrot Karma Pico de Gallo by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Dips
Oktoberfest Beer Mustard with Dippers by Eliot’s Eats

Mains
Bacon Cheeseburger Egg Rolls by Things I Make (for Dinner)
Brat Bites with Spicy Mustard Dipping Sauce by Cheese Curd In Paradise
Kalua Pork Sliders With Spicy Pineapple Relish by Cooking In Stilettos
Chicken Parmesan Sliders by Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
Cherry Chipotle Meatloaf Sandwiches by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Cherry Chipotle Meatballs by From Gate to Plate
Asian-Inspired Turkey Burgers by Sew You Think You Can Cook