Party Mix for Grownups

- Merrill

In our house, as in countless others nationwide, fall is synonymous with football. This is not due to my own fanatical zeal, mind you, but that of my husband, both a Giants and a University of Montana fan. While I may not be a sports nut, I'll admit I find some of the snack food that comes with the territory appealing: as you may have discerned from this post, I appreciate a well-executed Buffalo wing. And I've never been known to turn down a scoop of Seven Layer Dip. 

Recently, I was perusing the box of Crispix® that my aforementioned husband brings out of the pantry for breakfast most mornings, when I saw the recipe for Crispix Mix® on the flap. It had been years since I’d made any kind of cereal snack mix, and I thought maybe it was time to try my hand at it again. 

Starting with the recipe on the box, I tweaked the proportions and experimented with a few different, and slightly more "gourmet," additions, taking inspiration from one of my favorite recipes for spiced nuts from the New York Times. The results are below – may they fortify you and your loved ones this football season!

Party Mix for Grownups

Serves 8

• 5 cups Crispix® (or Chex®)
• 1½ cups mixed nuts
• 2 cups tiny twist pretzels
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Large pinch cayenne

1. Heat the oven to 250 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the cereal, nuts and pretzels. In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Drizzle this evenly over the cereal mixture and then use your hands to stir, making sure to distribute everything evenly.

2. Transfer to a 13x9” baking pan and bake for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until crisp and lightly toasted. Spread out on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to cool. Serve or store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.