Movie Night Munchies

I love being part of a large extended family! Growing up, family events were always a whirlwind of kids, activities and love. Since my siblings and I are on the younger end of our generation, we loved to spend time with our "cool" older cousins - shadowing them, trying to adopt their catchphrases and generally looking up to them (whether they liked it or not). Years later, we are grown and many of those cousins have children of their own. So, I find it to be a real blessing that the roles have come full-circle. Now we get to be the fun cousins that make the little ones feel special! One of those super kids is my cousin Jody's daughter, Ella. Once or twice a year, Ella comes to my parents' house for a "special trip". While she's here, we siblings take Ella out to eat, go swimming, bowling and of course, we have movie nights. And what's a movie without great snacks? That's why these Chocolate Peanut Butter Munchies are the perfect solution. The recipe is easy (so your little buddy can help) and quick (which is great for short attention spans!).

Begin by breaking mini pretzel sticks in half and filling up your measuring cup until you have two cups.

Have your little helper pour them into a large mixing bowl.

Next, measure 4 cups of corn square cereal and add that to your bowl as well. Set that aside.

In a separate, microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter, chocolate chips and peanut butter.

Warm it in the microwave on high for 45 seconds. Remove and stir. It will be lumpy, so keep doing this several times until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Immediately pour the chocolate coating over the pretzel and cereal mixture.

Use your spatula to carefully mix the chocolate in until all of the pretzels and cereal are coated.

Now, line two baking sheets with wax paper. Spoon the mix onto the wax paper and gently spread it out into a single layer.

Then, place the mix into the fridge for 20 minutes to let the coating set. It's just enough time to get your pj's on and your popcorn ready for the movie! When the mix has firmed up, use a spatula to spoon half of it into a gallon-size sealable bag.

Add powdered sugar and seal the bag tightly! Now (with some guidance) your little helper can shake the bag up until the snack mix is coated in sugar.

Add the candy coated milk chocolate pieces to the bag and seal it tightly for one more good shaking. With that, your Chocolate Peanut Butter Munchies are ready for movie night! Pour them into little single-serving bowls for the movie so everyone can have their own (not to mention that it helps the adults with portion-control, and the kiddos with sugar-control!).

Then save the remaining mix in a container with a tight fitting lid. It will keep in the fridge for several weeks, so you can devour the extras later, when the rest of the gang shows up!

Try these easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Munchies at your next movie night, then rate and review the recipe!

Graduation time is here and next on the blog Cindy has a special cookie in the shape of a diploma she's making for her neighbor.

Amanda is paid to write for the Land O’Lakes Recipe Buzz™ Blog.