J.R. Holmsted

The holidays are here and with that means lots delicious food! One of my favorite things about this time of year are the family recipes that only make an appearance during the season. Right on cue, I received a bag full of my grandma’s Texas Trash (though some Yanks I know call this stuff Scrabble). It seemed like a perfect time to share my favorite snack mix EVER. Many versions exist, but I wanted to share the ones I grew up eating by the handful! My grandma has been making this since Truman was in office and none are quite like hers.

TEXAS TRASH
Recipe by Grandma Holmsted

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

10 cups dry stuff: any combination of Rice Chex, Corn Chex, Wheat Chex, Cheerios, pretzels, mixed nuts, pecans, and Goldfish crackers. Be sure to use at least 3 cups cereal or mixture will be too greasy. Place in aluminum foil roasting pan (17 x 12 1/2) or baking pan (17 x 12).

Mix and microwave in a small bowl:

• 9 tbsp margarine
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 3 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Tabasco (This gives it a slight kick, adjust for desired heat!)
• 3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

​Mix thoroughly and pour over dry stuff in bowl. Stir carefully to coat uniformly. Spread onto pan and sprinkle lightly with garlic powder.

​Bake on middle rack for 15 minutes. Stir and bake 15 minutes. Then stir and bake 15 minutes more. Lay out paper towels on counter and turn over onto them to cool.

Here are the favorite combinations of my family:

• Grandpa: 4 Corn Chex, 2 mixed nuts, 2 pecans, 2 pretzels
• Adult cousins: 5 Corn Chex, 2 mixed nuts, 1 pecans, 2 pretzels
• Kiddos: 6 Corn Chex, 1 Cheerios, 1 Goldfish, 2 pretzels

Like many of my family recipes, you really can't mess this up. Mix, match, and enjoy all holiday season long! These make great goodie bags for parties, coworkers, neighbors, and even the super moms you dodge in the carpool line! Give ‘em all a bag of Trash!

Merry Christmas, y'all!

J.R. Holmsted

The Misfits are passionate about food. We are forever argu--umm--discussing it. Sometimes we take our opinions to the Twitter masses and often find various food topics to be more divisive that politics. Pineapple on pizza, dressing vs. stuffing, raisins on salads, Mayo or Miracle Whip? There are few things we love more than laughing at people's obviously wrong opinions and ridiculing those with terrible taste buds. ​

​So not long ago, Ray brought up writing a food series. (He often makes us drool with pictures of his meal creations.) Dan came up with an idea that takes it one step further. Have a portion of the website devoted to recipes, many of which would be good for busy families and their budget. Thus the Mess Hall was born and we think it only fitting it launches the week of Thanksgiving!

The introductory recipe is perfect for a post-holiday meal. If your family is like mine, you often have leftover turkey. You can only eat so many turkey sandwiches, amirite? What's the answer to reinventing turkey leftovers? Why, it doesn't get much more American than an easy, throw-it-all-in-one-pan casserole!

Turkey (or Chicken!) Casserole

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees*
Ingredients:

• 4-5 cups shredded turkey or chicken
• 3 cups leftover dressing or 1 box StoveTop stuffing (unprepared)
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• 1/2 cup - cup water or broth (I usually fill the Cream of Chicken can 3/4)

Instructions:

• Combine all ingredients in a medium-large mixing bowl. Add water/broth a little at a time to ensure the mixture is wet, but not watery. Amount will vary!
• Spray an 11 x 7 baking dish and spread mixture evenly into dish. (13 x 9 works, too, especially if you use more turkey/dressing.)
• Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook for 10 more minutes or until top is golden brown.
• Let cool for 10 minutes and serve! (Fave sides for this in my family are green beans, sauteed mushrooms, salad, or roasted potatoes!)

That's it! Seriously, you cannot mess up this recipe. Measurements are very loose, so don't take any of them to heart. Adjust as needed and add as much meat as you prefer! My family enjoys this casserole year round with shredded chicken. Sometimes I bake it or cook with broth in a Crock-Pot. When I need to make dinner on the fly, I grab a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. Works great!

​Hope you enjoy and check back soon for more yummy recipes!

The Misfits wish everyone and their families a wonderful Thanksgiving. We hope you eat too much, laugh too loud, and remember that we are blessed to live in this great country!