chex mix - hot and spicy

[Soup]

just bought a package and I though I would never find something as good as doritos - habenaro. I was wrong. chex mix - hot and spicy rocks. I wish they would make this stuff with just the chex mix. No crackers or pretzels.

[kseiverd]

NOT health food, but niece would be THOROUGHLY disappointed if she didn't get a bucket of it for Christmas and birthday. Box of wheat and rice/corn cereal, BIG jar of dry roasted peanuts, big bag of thing pretsel sticks... all mixed up on broiler pan for easier stirring. A whole stick of butter (melted), several big GLUGS of Worcestershire & hot sauce, and a HEFTY amount of season salt or Adobo. Drizzled over and tossed till coated. Into oven (350-ish) for maybe 10 minutes. Then another serious stir and back into oven for about 10 more minutes. At that point, I LIBERALLY sprinkle on raw sugar and toss again. Back into oven for maybe 10 more minutes. More raw sugar as soon as it's crispy. Savory & sweet.

[LA Buckeye Fan]

Regarding the price...is it really necessary to buy each different kind of chex? I'm just curious if there is that much of a flavor difference once it soaks up the sauce and is baked into the cereal. Has anyone tried using only one type of chex to keep the price down?

[Perilagu Khan]

That's a good question. I have not done a mono-Chex party mix. I do know that Wheat Chex have a texture that is different from Corn and Rice Chex, before and after cooking.

[Samalicious]

I recommend mono-corn or mono-rice.The wheat tends to absorb quite a bit more of the fat and shrinks.

[njmarshall55]

What about a mix like Crispix with corn on one side and rice on the other? Would that be too far from the original product?

[Perilagu Khan]

Is Crixpix sweetened at all? If so, that would be a disqualifier in my book.

[njmarshall55]

No...no sugar coating at all. Just a plain corn/rice combo in a classic shape.

[Exy00]

I only use the corn and rice because I don't particularly like the Wheat Chex. I just use 4.5 cups of each as the cereal component. I don't think there's any reason not to do just one, if that's what you want (the corn and rice are pretty similar anyway!)

And I'm pretty sure one box contains more than the 9 cups you need for one batch, since I've made two batches and my two boxes of Chex still have at least some cereal in them.

It's your Chex mix, after all. Use what you like. You just need twelve cups of stuff, and the liquid seasoning mix to pour over it.

[Michelle]

Everyone, please share your recipes! I make a buffalo version with rice chex, corn chex, peanuts, buffalo pretzel pieces, butter, a packet of ranch dressing mix, celery seed and hot sauce. I'd love to have other recipes!

[PrawoJazdy]

That sounds excellent! I'm partial to spicy Chex mix, and mine always includes Cheerios (store brand, since they're usually cheaper - store brand Chex-type cereal too) & Trader Joe's mini-shredded wheat cereal. Those two things are amazing sponges for the salty, buttery goodness.

[truman]

Re. the price of Chex, and the fact that I don't like eating the leftovers as actual cereal, I buy store-brand Crispix instead of separate boxes of Rice Chex and Corn Chex. (I do still buy a box of Wheat Chex.) This is the basic recipe - from the one on the box circa late 1980s, filtered through my memory and with some adaptations...

The dry:

about 9 C of cereal (3 C each, or 6 C Crispix and 3 C Wheat Chex)

2 C dry-roasted peanuts

1-2 C goldfish crackers: I like the cheddar cheese ones, but also use pretzel

The wet:

6 T butter, melted

2+ T worcestershire

1 T seasoned salt

about 1/2 T Texas Pete, or more to taste (if it's just me and DH, I go up to 1 T... my dad is kind of a wimp with spicy)

Mix wet ingredients, pour over dry ingredients. 250F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

[ksmith51432]

YEARS! (in the 50's) ago the 'original' recipe was called FiddleFaddle - at least by a friend in Dothan Ala that always sent a huge bag for Christmas - in a TUPPERWARE container - she was a high-up mucketymuck with Tupperware and we always had all the T'ware we needed or wanted. Brings back happy memories of good friends and good food

[LisaPA]

Fiddle Faddle is a caramel popcorn mix. Is your memory playing tricks on you or did she co-opt the name?
http://www.conagrafoods.com/consumer/...

[elk]

My family calls the stuff "nuts and bolts," but I've never met anyone else familiar with that term. We use rice chex or corn chex, wheat chex, cheerios, peanuts, and skinny pretzel sticks broken up into smaller pieces. The wet stuff is vegetable oil, garlic salt or powder, some kind of seasoned salt if you like, and worcestershire sauce. You mix the wet stuff together, pour it over, and bake at a very low temp (250?) for about 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. I like to spice it up with some additional cayenne--every year I play around a bit with the recipe.

[tastesgoodwhatisit]

I know that one! But I don't think Chex cereal was sold in Canada when I was a kid, so the version we had was made with pretzel sticks, peanuts, cheerios and shreddies, if I remember correctly.

[PrawoJazdy]

I have a friend who grew up in the SF bay area, and she calls it nuts & bolts too. I'd never heard the term before. Maybe it's a regional term? I have no idea where you're from.

[kcshigekawa]

I grew up in New England, and we called it "nuts and bolts". The only seasoning my dad used (he was the one who made it) was margerine and Lawry's Seasoned Salt. If it's in the house, I. Will. Eat. Lots. and. Lots!

[GulaSocordia]

I make my own... I developed the recipe years ago, and it's the only recipe I won't give out to anyone. Everybody loves it and it's the holiday treat that's in the most demand amongst family and friends. I usually make up two batches - Purgatory for the majority who like a little heat, Fire and Brimstone for masochists like the hubby. ;)

Sadly, it seems like materials just get more and more expensive each year! ;.;

[Perilagu Khan]

Inflation is hell.

[BiscuitBoy]

Hey Gula! Since I don't know you, your circle of friends, family, and am no potential threat to steal your thunder, can you at least share the heat component ingredients?

[GulaSocordia]

I'm fine with that. Strangely enough, the hot sauce that I use is actually a joke hot sauce... I've tried others, but the funny-ha-ha sauce just gives it a better flavor... something I would have never anticipated. The sauce is called... err... A**blaster. Not entirely certain on the whole foul language issues on the boards.

Our local hot sauce shop just created a sauce called The Executioner.... it's a ghost pepper sauce with EXCELLENT flavor. I'm working on formulating a Chex Mix recipe for that as well.

[BiscuitBoy]

Ah! Thanks, I love it... I believe "ass" in that context is fine, seen alot worse

[GulaSocordia]

Oh, good. ;) Some places I've been to have been ridiculously strict, and I usually have the vocabulary of a sailor, so I'm never sure what's exactly appropriate on what internet setting. ;) Here's what it looks like:

http://www.tearsofjoysauces.com/blast...

[njmarshall55]

Aha! A recipe hoarder!!! I found one! (There's a thread about that, of course). JK, BTW.

[chocolatetartguy]

The cereal is more porous and soaks up more of the marinade. My mom used to make homemade chex mix when we were growing up and she used a lot of butter. I think the recipe was on the cereal box. Yum.

[KaimukiMan]

there are now several variations on the website.

[Perilagu Khan]

I make my own and it's absolutely killer. Problem is, I have to talk to a loan officer before buying all the ingredients.

[mamachef]

LOL. That stuff is crack for the munchies set, innit? Been known to give it a little blast of extra Crystal sauce and then re-baking it, with an extra drizzle of butter, if I haven't made my own batch. You're not lying about the cost, though, but ........

[Perilagu Khan]

Yeah. Occasionally it's worth skipping your mortgage payment. Hell, it's only your credit rating, right?

[tcamp]

What is the expensive part? The cereal itself? I have never made it but have enjoyed it as a bar snack.

[Perilagu Khan]

Yeah, mainly the cereal. It would be different if you could buy small boxes of Chex, but so far as I know you can't. And with Chex running upwards of five dollars per box, you're spending right at a 20-spot on the cereal alone. Throw in nuts, crackers, pretzels, etc. and you've got yourself one damned expensive treat.

[goodhealthgourmet]

i could swear i've seen Chex at Costco, if that helps.

[Perilagu Khan]

Unfortunately there's no Costco in my neckothewoods. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

[goodhealthgourmet]

[smacks head] crap, i actually knew that - sorry. *however* i just checked online, and you have Sam's Club near you...and i confirmed that they carry Chex cereals. if you don't have a membership, find someone who does and ask them to stock up for you...and you can save a bundle there on all the other mix-in elements as well!

[Perilagu Khan]

Not a bad idea. In fact, I think some of my neighbors have a Sam's membership. Incendiary Chex Mix for the whole block!

[goodhealthgourmet]

who'da thunk an innocent comment about the expense of making Chex mix would result in tasty treats for the neighborhood? ;)

seriously though, this discussion is making me long for the days when i could eat the stuff. my two favorite variations to make were a ranch-flavored one (using powdered buttermilk) and a spicy curried mix.

[Perilagu Khan]

The delectable possibilities are endless, and that's the genius of Chex Mix.

[njmarshall55]

Don't most chain grocery stores (even regional) have their own Chex imitaiton? With all the fixin's, how much different could using the store brand be than the original? Stop and Shop by me has very reasonabiy priced "Chex"-type cereals.

[Samalicious]

This is not a reply to anyone in particular; for those shoppers whose heads don't automatically explode at the mention of WalMart, their store brand of "chex " cereals work just as well in party mix applications and are about half the price of the name brand. If you don't shop at WalMart congratulations, I don't care, let's not go there, thank you.