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.
Original Chex Party Mix
Use the Original Chex Party Mix recipe found on a box of Chex cereal.
Ingredients List
- 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-flavored bagel chips
- 6 Tablespoons butter or margarine
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1-1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Makes 12 cups.
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 smoker basket, or shallow foil pan and bake on the top cooking grate at 250°F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. If the cooker wants to run at 300-325°F, bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes; if running closer to 200°F, 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.
Spicy Chex Party Mix
Use these ingredients and the process described above for a hot and spicy mix.
Ingredients List
- 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 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 to 3 teaspoons Tabasco or other red pepper sauce
- 1-1/4 teaspoons seasoned salt
Makes 12 cups.
Do not substitute spread or tub products for butter or margarine.
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: Tabasco Original, Chipotle, Green Pepper, Garlic Pepper, or Habanero; Frank’s RedHot; or any red pepper sauce
- Dry mustard
- Italian seasoning
- Chili powder
- Celery salt
- Cumin, coriander, and cinnamon
- Bacon drippings instead of butter
