Make Your Own Trail Mix Bar for Game Day Entertaining

Offer a “Make Your Own Trail Mix” Station at your next football game-day party for a hands-on, hunger-smashing way to offer guests exactly what they like best! For you, pre-party prep time is kept at bare minimum. All that needs to be done is open bags of simple ingredients, like dried fruits, nuts, seeds, pretzels, candies and, of course, beef jerky, and pour into glass canning jars or decorative bowls.   

Set out cellophane bags or smaller jars and let friends and family scoop up the various tasty morsels in any combination they see fit — there is no right or wrong way to do it! And, no more greedy fingers “cherry picking” favorite items from a pre-made trail mix medley and skipping around the rest. Each person creates their own trail mix masterpiece in a single-serve portion — that’s sensible and customizable.

Trail mix is a fun (and filling) snack to eat while cheering on your favorite football team from the couch or taken to-go for a stomping around adventure in the wilderness. To pump up the protein, I set out chopped up pieces of beef jerky in various flavors and snipped portions of beef sticks.

There is no secret recipe for the perfect trail mix, but here are a few inspiring ideas you can write out on cards and leave at your Make-Your-Own Trail Mix Party.

Charcuterie Crunch Beef Trail Mix: Beef Stick Pieces + Spicy Beef Jerky + Mini Cheese Sandwich Crackers + Goldfish Crackers + Parmesan Crisps + Roasted Pecans+ Cashews + Dried Cherries + Golden Raisins

Salty Attitude Beef Trail Mix: Spicy Beef Jerky Bits + Corn Nuts + Mini Pretzels + French’s Fried Onions + Pecans + Peanuts

Aloha Cow Beef Trail Mix: Teriyaki Jerky Bits + Diced Dried Pineapple + Toasted Coconut + Plantain Chips + Macadamia Nuts

Chocolate Moo’d Beef Trail Mix: Beef Jerky Bits + Cacao Nibs + Dried Cherries + Chocolate Chips + Cashews

Rodeo Clown Beef Trail Mix: Beef Stick Pieces + Roasted Peanuts + Chocolate Raisins + Popcorn + Mini Pretzels

What is your favorite trail mix combination? Tell us in the comments below!