What Is the Original Chex Party Mix Recipe?

[Perilagu Khan]

My better half was chuffing a bowl of Wheat Chex this morning and noticed what purported to be the "original" recipe for Chex Party Mix on the box. Unfortunately, said recipe contained bagel chips and required microwaving which cast suspicion on the recipe's claims to "ur" status. All of which got me to wondering what the oldest--and hopefully closest to original--recipe for this American favorite is?

No better folks to consult than the Chowhounds.

[Antilope]

Chex Party Mix Recipe - Lewiston Morning Tribune - Dec 29, 1965
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qrdeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bTAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4824%2C6045114

Chex Party Mix - Life Magazine ad May 19, 1952

2 cups Rice Chex
2 cups Wheat Chex
1/2 cup nuts
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1/3 cup melted butter

Mix Rice & Wheat chex & nuts
in a shallow baking dish.
Pour over a mixture of
Worcestershire sauce, salt,
garlic salt, melted butter;
stir well. Heat 30 minutes in
300 F oven, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool.

Link to original recipe in Life Magazine in Google Books:
http://books.google.com/books?id=G1YE...

[ollie675]

What I'd like to know is why the packaged 'Traditional' Chex Mix doesn't include Worcestershire sauce...

[critter101]

Possibly because Worcestershire Sauce contains anchovies, and the mix would therefore not be considered vegetarian...just a thought.

[ollie675]

I don't know if that is it, as General Mills 'Gardettos Original' snack mix includes Worcestershire Sauce.

http://www.generalmills.com/~/media/Images/Brands/Nutritional_Images/Gardettos/Gardettos_Original.ashx

Besides, if they were trying to appeal to the widest variety of consumers (besides vegetarians) they'd probably exclude Wheat Chex (and anything else) for those with allergies, since they've already removed nuts.

http://generalmills.com/~/media/Image...

Why can't General Mills be true to the recipe fore-bearers and just release a more authentic version as 'Traditional' (as most know it with Worcestershire Sauce, Peanuts, Pretzels (and maybe include Sunshine Cheez-It crackers) and ditch the rye chips and mini-breadsticks)?

They already have 16 different versions of Chex Mix. Given the modifications to the 'Traditional' variety, I imagine they'll introduce a 'Gluten-Free' version before releasing a version more befitting of the 'Traditional' name.

[Perilagu Khan]

Upon further reading it appears that the first published CPM recipe appeared on a cereal box in 1952 and included only Wheat and Rice Chex cereals (along with other ingredients). Corn Chex, supposedly, were not created until 1958 so recipes containing that cereal date from that year or later.

Incidentally, the next time I make CPM (hopefully this weekend) I want to include filberts instead of peanuts. Unfortunately the blasted things are impossible to purchase outside of the Internet! ):

[mmack66]

http://graphic-design.tjs-labs.com/sh...

[DGresh]

Oh the original didn't have pretzel sticks! My memories of this date from the 70s when pretzels had been added (and in my opinion they were the best part)

[TrishUntrapped]

You beat me to it mmack. That is the earliest Chex Mix recipe I have too. It got tweaked over the years.

When I was growing up we used margarine instead of butter. We also added little tiny Mr. Pretzel sticks. Instead of peanuts (which many used because they were the cheapest nuts) we used Planter's mixed nuts. I remember pulling out the Brazil nuts ahead of time so they wouldn't "ruin" the mix. I didn't like them then and still don't.

[Vidute]

Trader Joes carries hazelnuts/filberts.

[chefj]

Hazelnuts are readily available in the SF Bay area.

[ollie675]

Here are a series of advertisements for the original Chex Mix from Life Magazine --

June 16, 1952 - Chex 'Party Mix'
http://books.google.com/books?id=2lUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA95&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U3DD1Dui-GzEnBvoUCfK7VexBevvA&w=685

September 29, 1952 - Chex 'Party Mix'
http://books.google.com/books?id=VVYEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA109&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U3EH7md9IqVzhx61aippb8UVVr6yA&w=685

January 12, 1953 - Chex 'Party Mix'
http://books.google.com/books?id=QEIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA40&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U1SXi6AUj1qG1s6GMe1c2C_3KDhXQ&w=685

February 23, 1953 - Chex 'Party Mix'
http://books.google.com/books?id=FEIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA130&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U3leb-nNBcdhoD-ZLbx613bj2Vpaw&w=685

By the way, Corn Chex was introduced in 1958.

Ralston-Purina had other similar recipes --
November 17, 1952 - Chex 'Buttered 'n Salted Wheat Chex'
http://books.google.com/books?id=sFIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA6&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U0MveWmFO-Mof6PEjG0KzXE7SM5vA&w=685

April 21, 1952 - Chex 'Candy Balls' & 'Cheese Chex'
http://books.google.com/books?id=2VUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U1v-_Sg6suuvQiCmr22ygIk3w8MEg&w=685

I was trying to figure out when Ralston-Purina started including rye-chips and mini-breadsticks to the recipe as this 1987 recipe still didn't include them --

Working Mother - December 1987 - 'Traditional Chex Party Mix'
http://books.google.com/books?id=aGEE...

I'm very happy the recipe was published, so I can make it any way I like.

[todao]

Straight from the horse's mouth:

http://www.chex.com/Recipes/RecipeVie...

[Jetgirly]

As per the OP, it's doubtful that is the "original" recipe as it contains bagel chips and is made in the microwave. My grandma was making Chex Mix long before microwaves and bagel chips!

[lexpatti]

this one from the 50's maybe:
http://busycooks.about.com/od/snackmi...

[Perilagu Khan]

Now THAT'S more like it! I'll give it a whirl this weekend, with my own special hot n' spicy twist.

[mrsdebdav]

I think this is the original:

CHEX PARTY MIX
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
1 1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
4 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 2/3 c. Corn Chex cereal
2 2/3 c. Rice Chex cereal
2 2/3 c. Wheat Chex cereal
1 c. salted mixed nuts
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Heat butter in large shallow roasting pan (about 15 x 10 x 2 inches) in oven until melted. Remove. Stir in seasoned salt and Worcestershire sauce. Add Chex and nuts. Mix until all pieces are coated. Heat in oven 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes. Spread on absorbent paper to cool.

[TrishUntrapped]

Close, but the original didn't have Corn Chex in it or seasoned salt. An earlier version contains salt and garlic salt.

[Jetgirly]

I have a very similar recipe written on a recipe card from the 1950s. Using today's brand names, we use Shreddies, Crispix, Cheerios and pretzels. For seasoning, we use chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce (no salt).