With a little bit of sweet and salty goodness in every bite, GORP is a snack mix that my family devours every time we make it. Lucky for all of us, it’s an easy hassle-free trail mix to make.
GORP is the classic trail mix you probably recall from childhood and I’m happy to report that it’s just as tasty as I remembered. Whether it’s for a quick road trip, a movie night, or a longer camping trip, GORP has long been a favorite for all of us.
What Is GORP?
GORP is an acronym for “good old raisins and peanuts” which was, according to some, the very first trail mix. Chocolate is traditionally included in most recipes for GORP. Today, GORP and trail mix are more or less synonymous.
I grew up munching on GORP whenever my family was road tripping. Some variation of this recipe was always our trail mix of choice. Typically, my family made their trail mix with peanuts, raisins, and m&ms or chocolate chips.
I’ve been traveling a lot over the past 6 weeks and am constantly in need of quick, easy, and tasty snacks to enjoy on the go. There are so many pre-packaged snacks available these days but GORP has remained the travel-friendly snack I reach for the most.
GORP
Trail mix is the perfect sweet and salty snack for long driving days, or for days spent on the go exploring a new city.
GORP probably became THE travel food (and the snack hikers took on long trails) because it’s easy to pack and carry and doesn’t spoil. Luckily, it also happens to be pretty nutritious for a convenience food!
The blend of dried fruit for energy and nuts for protein and fat helps keep hunger at bay and keeps you going all travel day long.
That said, GORP is also one of my favorite snacks for a night-in or to have in my bag on a long day of running errands. Easy to proportion into ziploc bags or small serving containers, this trail mix is also ideal for packing in lunches and tucking into backpacks.
This handy square canister of snack mix has a regular place in my camper kitchen and we all reach for it often. I have probably mixed together a batch of GORP at least once if not twice a week all summer long.
Sweet bits of pineapple and spicy jalapeño combine to make this easy pineapple salsa one of our favorite condiments and snacks.
If you’ve been reading this blog for very long you already know that there are not many recipes that I label “the best”. This salsa is well qualified for that title.
There is a Mexican restaurant in my city that serves a pineapple salsa that I have enjoyed for a while now.
I have no idea why it took me so long to try making my own, but a sale on pineapples finally pushed me to try. What was I waiting for? This pineapple jalapeno salsa absolutely smokes my former favorites.
Jalapeno Pineapple Salsa
I ate this salsa three days in a row and I am not even going to pretend that I shared more than a taste or two with my family. They all liked it, but I lucked out and was able to hide it away.
Most of it, I ate straight out of the bowl with tortilla chips (and, if I’m being honest, a few times with a spoon). I also spooned some on top of some leftover chicken and salad for lunch.
I am making more of this today and will have to share this time because I promised. My oldest son was not happy that the first batch “disappeared” so quickly.
Pineapple Jalapeno Dip
Over the past ten years, this spicy pineapple salsa has become a solid favorite with family and friends. I’ve given this recipe out countless times after sharing the salsa with friends.
We love this salsa on Hawaiian Hot Dogs, Carnitas Street Tacos, and Carnitas Salad Bowls. I make a double batch of this salsa almost every time we’re barbecuing with friends and it disappears fast. Eaten with a spoon, scooped up with chips, or piled over burgers,
Crisp warm tortillas filled with chicken, bell peppers, and plenty of melting cheese are a terrific dinner or an excellent way to use up just a bit of leftovers. Who would turn down a piping hot chicken fajita quesadilla for lunch? (Not me!)
Fajita Quesadilla
My sister taught me how to make absolutely irresistible quesadillas many years ago and ever since then, they’ve been a regular breakfast, lunch, and dinner option in our home.
Quesadilla fillings are endlessly fun to play with and we’re really loving these fajita quesadillas lately. Grilled bell peppers or roasted peppers and onions are excellent in quesadillas.
But, if you don’t happen to have these on hand already, it will only take a few minutes to toss the peppers and onions in a hot skillet and saute them.
Add some beef, chicken, pork, or shrimp and you’ll quickly be holding a fajita quesadilla that will put anything you can order in a restaurant to shame.
What are fajitas?
Fajitas are a Tex-Mex dish, typically centered around thinly sliced grilled meats served with bell peppers and onions on a tortilla. While traditionally, everything is grilled, there are endless ways to combine meats and vegetables for quick and easy fajita dinners at home.
We are long-time fans of fajitas and we’ve been making these chicken fajitas for over 12 years now. (And yes, it’s desperately in need of new photos.)
Beef strips, peppers, and onions are slowly cooked with Mexican seasonings and a generous squeeze of lime to make these slow cooker steak fajitas. This is one of the easiest crock-pot meals we make.
I call these slow cooker chicken fajitas a “fast crockpot meal,” meaning you can start them when you have a spare moment in the
Creamy Lemon Dip served with fresh berries, graham crackers, or shortbread cookies is a light summery dessert that is perfect for sharing with friends.
Lemon Fruit Dip
I made this dip for a pool party with friends a while back and it disappeared lightning-fast. Kids and adults happily scooped it up with the dippers and then nearly licked the bowl clean.
The fluffy sweet fruit dip is tempting enough straight off the spoon, but when you serve it with graham crackers, fresh strawberries, or shortbread cookies? I can tell you for a fact that no one is able to resist it.
For the lemon curd in this dip, I used my 5-Minute Microwave Lemon Curd. It turns out perfectly every time and it’s honestly easier than going to the store to buy lemon curd.
That recipe will make more than you need just for this lemon dip, but you won’t be sad about that.
Easy Fruit Dip Recipes
Fruit dips and plenty of fruit to dip into them are some of my kids’ favorite snacks. I’ll happily find any excuse possible to make and eat all of these dips.
Thick and creamy, cinnamon spice yogurt takes about 10 seconds to stir together and it makes a great dipping sauce for apples. It’s also a terrific breakfast with a sprinkling of granola and berries.
Crunchy peanut butter apple dip is simple and slightly sweet, perfect to enjoy with apples, pretzels, or about anything else you might want to dip into it.
This creamy cranberry jalapeno dip is lightly sweetened and balanced with just a hint of heat from the peppers. Served with crackers and pretzels or spread on toast, this is an unforgettable holiday treat.
This peanut butter and honey yogurt dip was “officially” named a favorite snack in our house when my boys were little. I made it on repeat for months! Who knew that yogurt would be such a great match for peanut butter? It makes the dip smooth and creamy and adds a slight tang that is balanced nicely by a bit of honey.
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Crisp, buttery tortillas filled with spicy chicken and melting cheese add up to a buffalo chicken quesadilla that any fan of buffalo chicken is certain to love.
Buffalo Chicken Quesadilla
Quesadillas are one of those stretch meals or snacks at our house. Don’t we all have those times? When you know you NEED to go to the grocery store but don’t have the time or feel like putting a list together to go. We have all been there.
Cheese and tortillas are never in short supply in my kitchen so it makes these so easy to make.
Buffalo chicken quesadillas are a great way to use up a small amount of leftover chicken. When you make quesadillas a little bit of chicken can go a long way.
Shredded or chopped chicken tossed with buffalo sauce and layered with plenty of cheese between a couple of crisp buttery tortillas? I’ll happily call that lunch any day of the week.
Any kind of cooked chicken can be used for this recipe. Grilled chicken thighs, pan-fried chicken, broiled chicken, and shredded chicken will all work nicely.
If you don’t have leftover chicken on hand already, or just don’t feel like cooking the chicken yourself, my go-to for this type of recipe is often a rotisserie chicken.
My quesadilla technique is super simple. First, butter the tortillas, not the skillet. Second, use two layers of cheese.
You heard that right, bottom tortilla + cheese + the buffalo chicken + more cheese + top tortilla. You can’t go wrong and the cheese holds everything together