Recipe: Oven Baked Chex Mix

Recipes

Jun 15

Confession: I'm addicted to Chex Mix — homemade Chex Mix, that is. Whenever we are looking for a savory snack to enjoy for a couple of days, this is my easy go-to. I love it for boat rides and the beach in the summer, or for movie marathons and football season in the fall. It's so easy, you'll never be able to eat the bagged stuff again (and bonus points: your house will smell amazing while it bakes)!

I've adapted a few recipes over the years, and this is my perfect blend. I like the flavoring to be nice and savory, so you can adjust the measurements to fit your personal taste.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups corn Chex cereal
3 cups rice Chex cereal
3 cups wheat Chex cereal
1-2 cups pretzels
1 cup bagel chips or rye chips (if you're local, the rye chips are available at United Dairy Farmers)
1 cup mixed nuts (my fave) or just peanuts if you prefer

6 Tablespoons melted butter
3 Tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
3 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 teaspoons Lawry's original seasoning salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 250°F.

In a large bowl, combine all of your dry ingredients.

Place the butter and minced fresh garlic in a glass bowl or measuring cup (I prefer this because it pours easily), and microwave until butter is melted. Add the Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and seasoning salt. Whisk with a fork to blend completely.

Pour the butter mixture over your dry ingredients, a little bit at a time, making sure to distribute it evenly. Using a flexible spatula, carefully stir the ingredients in the bowl – you can also use a spoon, but I find the spatula prevents the Chex from getting crushed. I like to pour a little butter mixture on, stir, then pour a little more, and stir again, to make sure the mix is evenly coated. I want no piece left behind!

Once everything is combined, transfer the Chex mix onto a baking sheet (with sides), making sure it's spread evenly in one layer. Sometimes I use two baking sheets just to ensure the mix isn't too piled on top of itself, but it depends on the size baking sheets you have.

Bake your Chex mix for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. I know this sounds nuts, but it makes a difference. This is a bake-it-low-and-slow process. I like to just hang out in the kitchen and catch up on the Bachelor and mayyyyybe drink a few glasses of wine while I'm on stirring duty. And you can inhale the heavenly scent coming from your oven during this time.

Once baked, transfer the Chex mix to a sheet of waxed or parchment paper and allow to cool. As much as I love things fresh out of the oven, this stuff really takes on its flavor once it's fully cooled. I let it sit for an hour or so before transferring it to an airtight container.