Favourite Party Mix

This is the Chex Mix template that lived in every aluminum foil-wrapped bowl on every game day in the 1970s, and it’s still the right answer for a no-nonsense party snack. A combination of crisp rice cereal, shredded wheat squares, corn cereal and pretzel sticks gets tossed in melted butter spiked with Worcestershire and a trio of seasoning salts (garlic, onion, celery), then baked low for a full hour.

That slow oven time is what separates real party mix from the lazy microwave version. The cereal needs time to absorb the buttery seasoning and re-crisp in the dry oven heat, building the deep, savory flavor on every piece. Microwaved versions stay greasy and disappointingly soft.

The celery salt is the secret. It adds an herbal, slightly bitter note that keeps the mix from tasting one-dimensionally salty.

Pro Tips

• Stir every 10 minutes during the bake. The pieces at the bottom of the pan brown faster, and unstirred mix turns scorched on the bottom and pale on top.
• Spread the mix in a single layer in a roasting pan or large jelly roll pan. Mounded mix steams instead of crisping.
• Pour the seasoned butter over the cereal a little at a time, tossing as you go. Dumped all at once, you get pools of buttery goo and dry patches.
• Let the mix cool completely on the pan before storing. It crisps up significantly as it cools.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. The flavors deepen for the first day or two.

Variations

• Add 2 cups of mixed nuts (peanuts, cashews, pecans) for the classic full-strength party mix.
• Stir in 1 teaspoon of cayenne or smoked paprika for a spicy, smokier version.
• Add bagel chips or oyster crackers in the last 20 minutes of baking for extra crunch.