Junk Yard Dog Mix
Junk Yard Dog Mix is serious snack mix made with pretzels, potato chips, nuts and caramel corn- perfect for football games and movie nights.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup mixed salted nuts
- 2 cups pretzels I like the windowpane variety for this
- Ridged potato chips
- ½ cups dark chocolate chips 60%
- ⅓ cup popcorn kernels
- ⅓ cup brown sugar I like light for this one
- 2-3 tablespoons cup corn syrup maple syrup would work here too
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; divided
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder I like it spicy- you can use less if you don’t
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225° F.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips with one tablespoon butter 20 seconds at a time to prevent scorching the chocolate.
- Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
- Dip the potato chips into the chocolate.
- Lay them to harden on the baking sheet. Do as many as will fit on the pan. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, pop the kernels in an air popper.
- Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, cayenne and 3 tablespoons butter to a large microwavable bowl and melt.
- Whisk well.
- Add the baking soda after it’s fully melted and you’re finished heating it. It will foam and make a thick caramel.
- Pour the popcorn into the caramel in the large bowl.
- Toss with a spatula until the popcorn is fully covered with caramel.
- Add the nuts if you like. Or, if you bought roasted, salted nuts, add them in at the very end.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or silpat).
- Spread the caramel corn in a single layer over the baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- When just cool enough to handle, separate the kernels gently with your hands, and allow to cool completely.
- Pick a large serving bowl.
- Mix together the chocolate covered chips, pretzels, caramel corn and nuts (if you didn’t already).
- Dig in!
