Puppy Chow Popcorn

One of my fondest memories of being on the summer swim team while I was growing up was... the snack bar.  Ha!  I really wish I was joking.  Swim star, I was not.

Every once in awhile they'd have homemade items that a few of the moms would sell along with the other goodies.  I'd always jump at the chance for the ubiquitous little plastic baggies of peanut butter & chocolate covered Chex® cereal that was coated in a nice thick layer of powdered sugar.  I grew up calling it "puppy chow" although it is also pretty well known as "muddy buddies".  Neither name sounds particularly appetizing if you ask me.  By the way, if you're going to google "puppy chow" for the original recipe, do not click on the first link that comes up.  Because that is actual dog food and that would be a mistake.

In a recent conversation with my husband, he let slip that he'd never actually had puppy chow.  Um, excuse me?  How is that possible?  I thought that was pretty much a childhood requirement, not to mention he is literally the king of anything chocolate + peanut butter.  If there were literally kings of such things.  He swears we've had this conversation before, but I think I would remember something as sad as someone never having puppy chow! 

Since I don't always have Chex® on hand, but we pretty much always have popcorn, I decided to look for some sort of Puppy Chow Popcorn creation.  Apparently, I'm late to the party because everyone and their mother has already had this ingenious idea.  This version I found on Tasty Kitchen is the same as the standard puppy chow recipe, but you swap popcorn for the rice cereal.  Try this chocolaty-peanut buttery-salty-sweet creation when a snack attack hits or when you're simply feeling nostalgic for a childhood treat. 

Puppy Chow Popcorn:
Recipe from Tasty Kitchen, adapted from Chex®

9 cups popped microwave popcorn
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Prepare your popcorn according to package directions and set aside in a very large bowl.  Be sure to remove any unpopped kernels at this point to avoid covering them chocolate and eating them whole later!  Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter together in the microwave until completely melted.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour melted chocolate mixture over popped popcorn.  Stir until everything is evenly coated.  Add the powdered sugar and stir again until everything is evenly coated.  Spread the popcorn mixture onto cookie sheets, and allow the chocolate to set.  Serve and transfer any leftovers to an airtight container.

Just a heads up: this has gotten my wheels turning for other puppy chow inspired ideas: Cake? Truffles? Cupcakes? Stay tuned!