Recipe Talk

I am looking for a recipe for chex party mix that you bake in the oven. I think it has all 3 types of chex cereal, pretzels, nuts and maybe a couple other things. You bake it in the oven in a large foil tin. It has a very distinct flavor. I need it asap!!! Thanks!

Chex Party Mix Originally posted: 12/01/2002
Last updated: 06/01/2006

Chex Party Mix was popularized in the 1950s, and it's still a favorite snack today, especially during the holidays. Next time you make this tasty mix, instead of baking it in the oven, why not put it in the Weber Bullet at the end of a cooking session? You'll make good use of an hour's worth of residual heat, and the mix will pick up a subtle, smoky flavor from the cooker.
What follows is the Original Chex Party Mix recipe and a spicy variation, but any similar cereal/snack mix recipe can be baked in the WSM using this same method.

As always...click on any of the pictures to view a larger image.

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Original Chex Party Mix

Use the Original Chex Party Mix recipe found on a box of Chex cereal.

Ingredients List
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3 cups Corn Chex cereal
3 cups Rice Chex cereal
3 cups Wheat Chex cereal
1 cup pretzels
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup garlic-flavor bagel chips 6 TBSP butter or margarine
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 tsp seasoned salt
3/4 tsp granulated garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
Use bite-sized bagel chips, if available. Otherwise, break regular-sized chips into 1" pieces. Do not substitute spread or tub products for butter or margarine. For a low-fat version, substitute fat-free bagel chips and use only 3 TBSP butter or margarine.

Melt butter in a small pan. Stir in seasonings. Place remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with butter mixture, stirring until coated evenly.

I suggest that you bake the Chex Mix at the end of a cooking session, in part to utilize the leftover heat in the cooker, but also because the smoke wood will be burned down and won't overpower the flavor of the mix. If you're firing up the WSM only to make this recipe, use a very small amount of smoke wood, perhaps one small chunk of a mild wood at most.

Remove the water pan from the cooker. Place mix in a perforated grilling wok, wire mesh container, or disposable foil pan, and bake on the top cooking grate at 250degreesF for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. If the cooker wants to run at 300-325degreesF, bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes; if running closer to 200degreesF, bake for up to 90 minutes. The mix is done when the bagel chips turn golden brown.

After baking, spread on paper towels to cool. Store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Makes 12 cups.

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Spicy Chex Mix

Use these ingredients and the process described above for a hot and spicy mix.

Ingredients List
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3 cups Corn Chex cereal
3 cups Rice Chex cereal
3 cups Wheat Chex cereal
1 cup pretzels
1 cup mixed nuts 1 cup bite-size cheese crackers
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
2 to 3 tsp red pepper sauce
1-1/4 tsp seasoned salt
Do not substitute spread or tub products for butter or margarine.

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Let Your Imagination Run Wild

Here are some alternative ingredients that you can substitute in these recipes to customize the mix. Just keep the total quantities the same--9 cups cereal to 3 cups other goodies.

Cereals: Honey Nut Chex, Crispix, Cheerios (Original or Honey Nut)
Snacks: Pretzels (sticks, twists, nuggets), Bugles corn snacks, Pepperidge Farms Goldfish, Cheez-It crackers
Nuts: Peanuts (dry or honey roasted), almonds, pecans, cashews, macadamia, hazelnuts
Dried fruit: apple cubes, pineapple cubes, cranberries, cherries
Also, try other seasonings for a real taste twist:

A favorite barbecue rub
Soy sauce
Teriyaki sauce
Hot sauce
Dry mustard
Italian seasoning
Chili powder
Celery salt
Cumin, coriander, and cinnamon
Bacon drippings instead of butter