30+ Christmas Movie Night Snacks For Your Holiday Marathon
Consider these tasty suggestions for Christmas movie night, and take your snack recipe collection to new heights.
Gather the whole crew and settle around the TV for one of the best parts of the holiday season: the movies. Before you get too comfy on the couch though, make sure you have all your snacks at the ready. Movie time calls for easy, handheld treats—something you can throw in a bowl and enjoy without prying your eyes away from the screen, preferably by the handful. Movie snacks should also come in bites so as to not get too many crumbs on the couch. But this is no ordinary screening.
We look forward to watching Christmas movies with loved ones all year long; It's one of our favorite holiday traditions. That's why no ordinary snacks will do—definitely not anything that comes from the microwave or straight from the bag. For your Christmas Eve marathon, we gave classic snacks an upgrade. From salty crackers and popcorn to sweet treats (or both!), these snack recipes are spruced up for the festive season's much anticipated films. From classics to family favorites, Hallmark holiday originals, and even Die Hard, these snacks will make for a merry movie marathon.
Fire Crackers
Stacy K. Allen, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Alabama Fire Crackers are simple but delicious, starting with a few staple sleeves of saltine crackers. Introducing some new flavors to these classic, salty crackers brings a wow factor worthy of this once-per-year occasion. And when your guests discover how addicting the flavor is, they'll be wanting to know your secret.
Hot And Sweet Fried Peanuts
These spice-infused nuts will be a crunchy hit. Two types of sugar and two types of hot pepper are the flavor combination you'll love. You might keep this treat on the adult snack table, as they pair well with a light-bodied brew such as a Pilsner.
Ranch-Cheese Crackers
Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Ana Kelly; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
This crave-worthy ranch-cheese crackers recipe comes from Today Show food contributor Elizabeth Heiskell's cookbook, What Can I Bring? Southern Food for Any Occasion Life Serves Up. The recipe utilizes store-bought shortcuts like a couple of boxes of Cheese-Itz and a ranch seasoning packet to simplify the process.
Hush Puppies
No Southerner will say "no" to Hush Puppies. The secret to perfectly crispy homemade Hush Puppies is the oil temperature. Once you have perfected your method after much tasty practice, your master fryer skills will always come in handy.
Ranch Snacker Crackers
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Set out a bowl of these crackers and watch the magic happen. Ranch snacks made with oyster crackers will be gone in a flash. These little crackers are notably crisp and just salty and savory enough to be delicious and satisfying without morphing into an over-the-top junk food that stains our fingers and makes us remorseful.
Sweet And Salty Snack Mix
Cereal, bite-size pretzels, candy-coated peanut-butter candies, and mini marshmallows are coated in a buttery mixture to bring this snack together. Whether you're craving sweet or salty flavors, this treat is the one for you. Serve it in waffle ice cream cones for extra fun and fewer dishes.
Bourbon Candied Nuts
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Sweet and salty with just the perfect bit of heat, these nuts are an absolute dream for snacking. The warm flavors of bourbon, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla extract are the perfect complement to toasty roasted nuts. The satisfying candy crunch texture and a pinch of briny flavor from a sprinkle of flaky salt will make your taste buds sing for more.
Fried Olives With Blue Cheese Aïoli
Fried bite-sized options will always be a favorite and these olive snacks are more proof of that rule. We like to use pimiento-stuffed green olives for an extra-Southern twist. Don't forget, though, that there are plenty of other options as far as olive stuffings go, to include blue cheese and feta cheese.
Homemade Potato Chips With Fried Herbs
Serve up a bowl of fresh, homemade potato chips and you'll hear no complaints but lots of satisfied crunches. Use a mandolin to slice russet potatoes into thin, uniform chips. The effort will be worth the reward when you taste your results.
Georgia Style Boiled Peanuts
Salty nuts are a hit at any occasion. If you've never made boiled peanuts at home, you'll be shocked by how easy it can be, especially if you use your slow cooker. All it takes is raw peanuts in the shell, salt, water, and lots of time.
Spicy-Sweet Pecans
Spiced pecans are easy to make and even easier to devour. You cannot eat just one, and the flavor will become your new holiday addiction. You could make a batch of these and give them away as gifts, but on second thought who says you have to share them at all?
Crack Crackers
Introducing your new favorite snack. Cheez-Its spruced up with ranch dressing mix, garlic, and dill are so tasty that your whole movie crew will be addicted in no time. Choose a fun way to serve these savory treats, and elevate the experience.
Cheddar Cheese Straws
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
Set some cheese straws down in front of a group of Southerners and no matter the time and place, they'll be gone in a jiffy. Our recipe for this classic snack is cheesy and rich with just the right touch of peppery kick. This is a snack staple that you can easily put on repeat.
Cracker Toffee
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Can't decide whether you want salty or sweet? Or perhaps you're intent on having both? This is the Christmas snack for you. Saltine crackers bring a salty crunch while chocolate and nuts balance it all out with decadent, sweet flavor.
Salted Butterscotch Popcorn
You can make microwave popcorn any other night of the year. For Christmas Eve, we're doing something special. Scotch-infused caramel sauce and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt are a surefire way to serve up an impressive and tasty snack.
Spicy Cheese Twists
For the special occasion, try this twist (literally) on cheese straws. Spicy Cheese Twists are flaky, cheesy, and deliver an enjoyable kick thanks to cayenne pepper. The cheese forms little crispy bubbles and pockets of deliciousness on the pastry.
Muddy Buddy Mix
You might also know Muddy Buddy Mix as Puppy Chow, Muddy Munch, Monkey Munch, or Reindeer Chow. No matter what you call it, you can't go wrong with Chex cereal coated in chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar.
Fried Pickle Chips
We take a simple approach to fried pickles because sometimes, you just can't beat the classics. Throw in some of our Roundhouse-Kick Sauce on the side though, and you've got a game-changer on your hands. Might we suggest an extra batch?
Bacon Bow Tie Crackers
We love everything about this recipe. We love bacon. We love buttery crackers. We love how easy this snack comes together. Most of all, we love how much everyone else will love them too.
Smoky Snack Mix
This everything-but-the-kitchen-sink style snack mix is elevated by unbeatable smoky flavors. We especially love the smoky, buttery white cheddar cheese crackers in this mix. Their buttery richness makes them the MVP of this hard-to-resist mix.
Bacon Bites
With only three ingredients, this snack couldn't be easier. When the ingredients are bacon, brown sugar, and breadsticks, Bacon Bites clearly couldn't get any more delicious, either. One great tip to achieve bacon success is to always line your rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Buttery Toasted Pecans
The soulmate of Christmastime "chestnuts on an open fire," these roasted nuts will get you in the spirit. Nutty, warm aromas will dance around your home to set the scene for your holiday movie marathon. Ready in just 35 minutes, the hardest part of this quick appetizer recipe may be patiently waiting while the nuts are roasting.
Cheddar Cheese Shortbread Crackers
These crackers are a reliable treat for any situation. Serve them on their own, with cheese and jam, or send guests home with extras in a cookie tin. Try the Pimiento Cheese, Pecan-and-Thyme, and Bacon, Bourbon, and Benne Seed flavors to experience these crackers' full holiday potential.
Stove-Top Bacon Popcorn
It doesn't get better than bacon and popcorn. Fry up your bacon first then use the bacon drippings to pop your kernels. Everyone in your movie crew will thank you for it.
Chipotle Maple Almonds
Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
These smoky, spicy almonds are an irresistible indulgence. Chipotle chile powder is made from smoked jalapeños, so it has quite a kick. If you want to tone it down just a little, cut the amount in half and replace with regular or ancho chile powder.
Sweet Potato And Chorizo Sausage Bites Recipe
These chorizo sausage appetizers may be small in size, but they will make a big difference on your menu. Extra-sharp cheddar cheese, a dash of cinnamon, and a few scoops of plum jelly give this chorizo sausage ball recipe multiple layers of savory flavor.
Cheese Dreams
Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
These cheesy dreams are similar to our other favorite Southern cheese-laden snack: the cheese straw. There are so many variations of that super simple appetizer, and this recipe is a slightly elevated option that follows the same delicious logic and will introduce something new to your family and friends this holiday season.
Sweet And Spicy Sheet Pan Bacon Recipe
If you have never baked bacon in the oven, then you are in for a treat. You get all the taste without the mess. And if you don't perceive this as a bite-sized snack, get out your kitchen shears and chop these down into squares. You might offer a drizzle of maple syrup to accentuate the flavor of the bacon, but be ready with the wet wipes.
Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Reindeer Pops
Explain to us how you could possibly resist offering these treats to your movie-watching crowd. Task the kids to help assemble these prior to your watching party. Festive and sweet, with a beloved theme we cannot deny, these will be gone from your snack selection in no time.
Inside-Out Hot Brown Bites
This is a reimagined sandwich, on a tiny level. The flavor medley of turkey and bacon is topped with a mini-dollop of cheese sauce, and these works are all resting on a bed of baked parmesan cheese. Our only extra input is to double the recipe.
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
The air fryer method creates fries that are not as greasy, and not as messy in preparation. When the result is crispy and the flavor shines like you want it to, you will want to share. These fries can be served in paper cones with a sprinkle of sea salt.
For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Southern Living.
