Sweet and Chewy Coconut Chex Mix

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the Holidays are upon us. I don’t know how 2009 snuck by so quickly, but Thanksgiving is a few short days away, and Christmas comes less than a month later! While we aren’t exactly social swingers, we do have quite a few holiday get-togethers to attend this year, and what’s the one thing all holiday gatherings have in common? Food. And when you also throw in treats for neighbors, friends, teachers, etc, that’s a lots of festive food to tackle. This recipe is the perfect answer to the old “What Should I Make?” moment. It has just a few ingredients (7 to be exact), takes just a few minutes to make, and feeds an army! And it is so delicious! I didn’t even make this batch for us. I made it for a friend, yet I have already eaten several handfuls! It is sweet, salty, crunchy, and chewy all at the same time. The perfect holiday party food!

Sweet and Chewy Coconut Chex Mix
To give you an idea of just how much this makes, I divided mine between two cookie sheets covered with waxed paper to cool, and I considered using a third because it was piled so high. Seriously, a ton!

1 14-oz box Corn Chex
1 16-oz box Golden Grahams
3 cups natural, unsweetened coconut shreds
2 11.5-oz cans mixed nuts
3 sticks margarine (DO NOT USE BUTTER)
2 cups sugar
1 16-oz bottle Karo Syrup

In a huge bowl sprayed with lots of Pam, combine cereals, coconut, and nuts. Stir to combine. In a medium sauce pan, melt margarine, then add sugar and Karo Syrup. Bring to a boil and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Pour the hot syrup over the cereal mixture, then stir with a long-handled spoon until the cereal mixture is evenly coated. Spread out onto waxed paper to cool.