Keep this snack around the house for guests to munch on, or package it in pretty bags and hand it out to friends and family for an affordable holiday gift.

Joe’s Market Barbecue Snack Mix
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour | Yield: 14 cups

Ingredients:

4 cups Corn Chex cereal
4 cups Wheat Chex cereal
2 cups square-shaped cheese crackers
2 cups pretzel sticks or snaps
1 container Joe’s Market Deluxe Nut Mix
½ cup butter
5 Tbsps. Joe’s Market Southern Barbecue Sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large roasting pan, mix together cereal, crackers, pretzels and nuts. In a small saucepan, melt butter then stir in barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce and salt until well blended. Pour over cereal mixture and stir to coat. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

These addictive nuts are an ideal item to keep on hand throughout the holiday season. They’re perfect for guests to munch on before Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, but you can also add them to salads for a festive hint of flavor; sprinkle them on sweet potatoes or even wrap them in a pretty bag in a pinch and bring them to a party as a hostess gift.

Sweet & Spicy Candied Pecans
Yield: 2 1/2 cups pecans | Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes

2 1/2 cups raw Food Club pecans
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1/4 cup sugar (we used Sugar in the Raw for a more crystallized effect)

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice
½ tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together pecans and egg white until pecans are evenly coated. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper and salt. Pour over the nuts and stir until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes, checking regularly to ensure nuts aren’t burning. Once nuts are toasted, remove from oven and allow to cool. Break nuts into a bowl to serve or store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Guests will gobble up these cheesy, spicy sliders.

Ukrop’s Cheddar Pimento Cheese is a tasty take on a Southern favorite. While most pimento cheese spreads are made with processed American cheese, the chefs at Ukrop’s use medium-sharp Tillamook Cheddar for a product that’s packed with fresh, cheesy flavor. Look for regular Ukrop’s Cheddar Pimento Cheese and Ukrop’s Cheddar and Jalapeno Pimento Cheese in 10-oz. containers in your store’s deli self-service case.

Pimento Cheese lends itself perfectly to tailgating. That cheesy, gooey flavor is perfect for chowing down before or during the game. We cooked up three delicious recipes featuring Ukrop’s Cheddar Pimento Cheese that can be enjoyed at home or outside the game.

Spicy, Cheesy Sliders
Serves: 8 as an appetizer  | Prep Time: 8 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes

1 pound Ukrop’s All-Natural Angus Ground Chuck (80/20)
3 Tbsps. A1 Bold & Spicy Steak Sauce (less for less heat)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tub Ukrop’s Cheddar Pimento Cheese
8 Ukrop’s Bakery Artisan Bread Rolls, cut in half
Bread and butter pickle slices

Preheat grill to medium hot. Place meat in a bowl. Sprinkle with A1, salt and pepper and stir until sauce is evenly distributed. Divide mixture into 8 2-ounce tightly packed patties. Place sliders on grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until they are crusty on one side, then flip and cook for an additional 4 minutes. Remove from grill. Place 1 patty on each Artisan roll then top with 1 heaping tablespoon Cheddar Pimento Cheese.

Country ham and pimento cheese sandwiches are easy to make and packed with savory flavor.

Country Ham & Pimento Cheese Party Sandwiches
Serves: 12 as an appetizer | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes (optional)

1 package White House Rolls
2 tubs Ukrop’s Cheddar Pimento Cheese
1/3 pound country ham, thinly sliced

Cut White House Rolls in half. Spread each one with about 2 Tablespoons Cheddar Pimento Cheese. Top with 1-2 slices country ham. If preparing to take to the game, place on a tray, cover, and keep cool until serving time. If serving at home, preheat oven to 300 degrees, place sandwiches on a baking sheet and heat in oven for about 10 minutes or until sandwiches are warm and cheese is gooey.

Spicy, cheese-filled flavor makes Chili-Jalapeno Pimento Cheese Straws hard to resist.

Chili-Jalapeno Pimento Cheese Straws
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Serves: 16 as an appetizer

2 packages Ukrop’s Cheddar and Jalapeno Pimento Cheese
¾ cup flour
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together pimento cheese and flour until completely combined. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take about a 1-Tablespoon-sized piece of dough and roll into a log about ½-inch thick. Place on baking sheet. Repeat until sheet is full, spacing cheese straws about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with Kosher salt, chili powder and cayenne pepper. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges of straws are brown and crisp-looking. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before moving. Keep dough in fridge between batches.

English muffin mini pizzas make healthy, filling after-school snacks.

On the hunt for healthy, yet yummy, snack ideas for your child’s lunchbox or for after school?  Favorite kid snack foods are often filled with empty calories, fat and sugar. Pick up the ingredients for some of these options on your next trip to Ukrop’s:

- Low-fat dairy products, such as Organic Valley milk boxes, are packed with vitamins and minerals like bone-building calcium and vitamin D.  Pair a milk box with a serving of Barbara’s Snackamils or graham crackers for a satisfying snack.

- Pop popcorn!  Did you know that popcorn is loaded with antioxidants, fiber and is a whole grain too?  Pop your own kernels or look for 94 percent fat free microwave popcorn. Three cups of popcorn has about 5 grams of tummy-filling fiber.  Try it plain, or top it with Parmesan cheese, Old Bay seasoning, or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray.

- Keep pre-sliced vegetables, like cucumbers, carrots, pepper strips, broccoli and cherry tomatoes in the fridge for a quick and easy snack.  Add reduced-fat ranch dressing or hummus on the side.  This is a great way to help increase veggie servings during the day! If you’re feeling lazy, check out the pre-cut vegetables in Ukrop’s produce department.

- Whole grain crackers, like Triscuits Thin Crisps, served with a part-skim cheese stick supply B vitamins, calcium, protein and fiber.

- Top apple slices with peanut butter and raisins. Serve it to your children as a sweeter take on the traditional celery-based “ants on a log.”

- Build a yogurt parfait. Let your kids pick out their own healthy toppings.  Tasty toppers include low-fat granola or whole-grain cereal, chopped nuts, dried or fresh fruit, or even coconut.

- Make a mini pizza! Layer a whole-grain English muffin (such as Thomas 100% whole wheat English muffin) with 2 percent shredded cheese, turkey pepperoni, tomato sauce and veggies. Bake at 350° F for 5-10 minutes.

- Build your own snack mixes: Choose your favorite whole-grain cereal, dried fruit, nuts and small crackers or pretzels. Stir everything together in a large bowl and enjoy!

Have a nutrition question? Call the Ukrop’s Nutrition Hotline at (804) 340-3005 to speak with a registered dietitian. Individualized nutrition counseling appointments are also available.

Apple Smiles are a kid favorite.

Crisp Virginia apples are in our produce department now. Choose from Virginia-grown Ginger Golds (a mild apple similar to a Golden Delicious with a tart finish that resists browning longer than most varieties) and Galas with more varieties arriving soon.

Use our fresh, seasonal apples to make some delicious, kid-friendly apple snacks!

Apple Pizzas
This recipe is great to make with kids, but the sweet-savory flavors are sure to please any age group. Serve them as a snack, or bring them to a brunch for a unique treat!

Serves: 10, as a snack | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 package (10) refrigerated biscuits
3 apples, sliced thin
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tbsps. flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using your hands, press each biscuit until it’s flat. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (if you make this recipe with children, use a permanent marker to write the name of each child near the pizza they made). Sprinkle about 1 Tbsp. of grated cheese on each biscuit. Place 4-5 apple slices on top of each biscuit. In a small bowl, stir flour, sugar and cinnamon together. Put 1 spoonful of mixture on each biscuit. Top with a tiny pad of butter or margarine. Bake for 15 minutes or until biscuits are fluffy and browned on edges.

Sweet-savory Apple Pizzas are great for brunch.

Apple Smiles
These treats are a great way to get kids active in the kitchen.

Yield: About 8 Smiles

Ingredients:
1 red delicious apple
1 jar creamy peanut butter
About 40 mini marshmallows

Core and slice apple into about 16 thin slices. Spread peanut butter on one side of each slice. Give 2 slices to each child and let them place about 5 mini marshmallows in between slices and sandwich them together in the shape of two lips with teeth.