Salted Nut Roll Bars

You know how candy corn isn't that great, and peanuts aren't that great, but when you mix candy corn and peanuts in a bowl somehow they become magic?

That's what happens with these bars.

Way back when I was a new bride my Aunt Mary made them for us when we visited her in Nashville.  I remember sitting in her beautiful kitchen, copying the recipe onto a recipe card she had given me, quietly THRILLING that I was married and was actually sharing recipes now.  Like a total milestone.  I'm an adult, because I shared recipes!  Almost as fantastic as the first teaching job I was starting a month later.

See how I dated it and wrote down her name?  I was anal retentive way back then.  Just slays me!

This is a super-duper easy recipe.  It's perfect for summer because it doesn't require any baking at all, and it's likely you have the ingredients in your pantry.  If you live in a small town like me, you can bet your grocery store will have them if you don't.

You will need a microwave though, to melt butterscotch (or peanut butter) chips.  My Aunt Mary's recipe suggests peanut butter, but I've used butterscotch and actually prefer them.  Up to you.  How could you go wrong with either?

And then there's the sweetened condensed milk.  Seriously, you know how I feel about sweetened condensed milk.

Then mini marshmallows and peanuts.  That's the part I'd usually be meh about.  But no.  Oh no.  I could definitely turn down marshmallows, and I could definitely turn down peanuts (peanut butter doesn't count--could eat that by the spoonful), but for some reason when you cover them in butterscotchy goo, they are transformed.

These bars are scrumptious and easy.  Take them to a family reunion this summer, and make sure you copy the recipe onto a recipe card to share.  There might be a new bride there, and you might just make her day.  

Salted Nut Roll Bars
from my Aunt Mary

3 T butter
1 12-ounce package of peanut butter or butterscotch chips (I like butterscotch)
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 10-ounce package miniature marshmallows
1 16-ounce jar dry roasted peanuts

Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with nonstick spray.  In a microwave safe bowl, microwave butter and chips for a minute or until they begin to melt.  Gently stir in sweetened condensed milk until well combined.  Stir in marshmallows, then peanuts, and mix until well combined.  Spread into prepared pan, then chill until they become firmer.  Cut into bars and enjoy!