EXTRA-BOLD SAVORY CHEX MIX
This Extra-Bold Savory Chex Mix recipe is made just the way my family adores it — with loads and loads of butter and loads and loads of extra shakes of garlic and Worcestershire. This is Original Chex Mix with EXTRA everything!
I have made my homemade version of Original Chex Mix for the past couple of years now and it is the most requested food item in my house. As in, my kids beg me to make my Savory Chex Mix Recipe all the dang time. I began making Homemade Chex Mix years ago for the holidays. The very first time I made it I simply followed the original Chex Mix recipe of 1950 on the back of the Chex cereal box. No one ate very much of it and I ended up tossing it out because it just didn’t taste very good.
I had a light bulb moment the next year and thought, why do I have to follow the recipe. Why can’t I make a Fancy Chex Mix recipe? What would be the difference between a Chex Mix Bold vs original? Why can’t I just add all the stuff we love and really ramp it up?? Let’s just say the Chex Mix that year didn’t last a week! Ever since that holiday year, my kids literally beg for Chex Mix all year long. At first, I always said no way, it takes too long. Then a few years ago, I started making it more often.
Once the fall season turns brisk here in Chicago, I make my first batch of home Chex Mix and will continue to make a savory real original chex party snack mix recipe all through the winter months. I’ve never detailed how I make it here on the blog and thought today would be the perfect opportunity.
We have a lovely crisp fall day today and I had all the ingredients to make my Extra Bold Savory Chex Mix, so here is my recipe. My kids deem this best savory chex mix recipe ever!!
This is MY take on the Classic Original Chex Mix - but with literally everything ramped up 10 notches for an Extra Bold Extra Savory Chex Mix.
First off, I have to say, we DO NOT eat or like the Wheat Chex, so you won’t find those in my recipe. If you love and adore Wheat Chex, by all means, add a box into this recipe. you won’t need to change anything else. I only use Corn and Rice Chex. Sometimes I had two boxes of Rice Chex and one box of Corn Chex. Sometimes I use one box of each. And another time I may use two boxes of Corn Chex and one box of Rice Chex. It really depends on what I have in the house, how I feel, and how many people are oging to be in the house during the week.
I have also added plain bagel chips a couple of times. I liked thema dn my husband liked them - my kids vetoed the plain bagel chips, so I didn’t add them today. The insist on only using garlic bagel chips and loads of them. Be prepared - I recommend and use 4 bags of them!
I even tried cheese Nips once, but the flavors didn’t do it for us. I even used Cheerios once becuase I didn’t have enough cereal, but that was a big veto as well from the family. My kids would love it if I would leave the nuts out, but my husband and I LOVE the nuts in this Chex Mix. So, really, add what you love and adore, leave out what you don’t like!
On a side note, I have never tried anything sweet in our Chex Mix beucase this is super bold and super savory. We are not fans of mixing the savory and sweet flavors, so I have not ever added any dried fruits or candies. But go for it you are a fan of sweet and savory together!
Now, my son always tells me it doesn’t have enough salt. No matter how much I add - he always adds more to his bowl! This kid loves his salt! That being said, we are a family who adores a Chex mix that is full of butter, garlic, seasoning salt and loads of Worcestershire!
Why Oven-Baked Chex Mix Is the Best Chex Mix
Plus, I NEVER put this in the microwave - like never! It has to be baked! This is essential to the recipe! Baking Chex Mix makes it crunchier and the flavors are just that much richer! You want the butter to saturate the ingredients and bake to a crispy golden perfection. This can only be acheived with the slow, low-temp baking.
My Tips for the Best Extra Bold Savory Chex Mix
These are my key tips for making the Best Extra Bold Savory Chex Mix ever!
1. Don’t skimp on the seasoning or butter. The recipe makes two large roasting pans full of Chex Mix. Believe me, you will need all the seasoning I recommend. It might seem like A LOT of seasoning and butter, but do not cheat it or your Chex Mix will be dry without the bold!
2. Drizzle the butter in between the layers as you pour into the pans. To ensure all the ingredients are evenly coated in the butter mixture, drizzle as you pour the layers and then drizzle once all your layers are in your pan and gently stir with a spatula to coat everything!
3. Bake in the oven and gently stir with a spatula every 15 minutes for a full hour. To ensure your Chex Mix is the boldest and savoriest, bake it for the one full hour and stir every 15 minutes by removing from the oven and stirring gently with a rubber spatula. (Keep in mind, if you use the 3 sticks of butter, bake for an additional 15 minutes)
EXTRA-BOLD CHEX MIX
prep time: 10 MINUTES Cook time: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS
2 boxes of Chex cereal (I only ever use corn and rice)
1-2 bag of your favorite pretzels (I used waffle pretzels and pretzel balls)
4 bags of garlic bagel chips
1 small container mixed nuts or peanuts
2-3 sticks of melted butter, melted** (you can use 2 sticks of butter, but I always use 3 sticks)
6-8 TBSP Worcestershire sauce + MORE shakes
4 tsp seasoning salt + MORE shakes
4 tsp garlic powder + MORE shakes
4 tsp onion powder
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
In a separate bowl, melt the butter in the microwave butter. Add the Worcestershire Sauce, seasoning salt, garlic powder, and onion powder together until combined.
Add half of the cereal bag of Rice Chex to a large baking dish (I use two large metal roasting dishes, so I add half of the bag to each baking dish). *The size of my pans are 13. 75 x 10. 37 x 3.75 inches
Drizzle a few tablespoons over the Rice Chex.
Next, pour half of the box of Corn Chex over the top of the Rice Chex. Spread evenly
Drizzle a couple more tablespoons of the butter mixture over the top of the Corn Chex cereal.
Open the bags of the garlic bagel chips and add two bags each to each pan. Spead evening
Drizzle a couple more tablespoons of the butter mixture over the top of the garlic bagel chips.
Open the bag(s) of your favorite pretzels (I use 2 bags because my family loves pretzels) and half of each of the bags into each pan and spread evenly.
Drizzle a couple more tablespoons of the butter mixture over the top of the pretzels.
Open the small container of mixed nuts or peanuts and evenly distribute them into the pans.
Drizzle a couple more tablespoons of the butter mixture over the top the nuts.
Now, gently mix the layers together with a rubber spatula. (You don’t want to crush and smash the cereal here, so a rubber spatula is best).
Once the ingredients are mixed, drizzle the remaining butter mixture evenly between the two pans.
Gently mix the ingredients together until combined. The butter mixture will not be on every piece of cereal, bagel chip, nut, or pretzel.
{you can skip this step if you like} *At this point, I gently shake garlic powder and seasoning salt over the top layer of each pan. I also gently shake a tiny bit of Worcestershire Sauce as well. I am not generous at this point, it is more of a light dusting on the top layer.
Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
Take the pans out once the timer goes off and gently mix with the rubber spatula.
{you can skip this step if you like}*I once again gently shake garlic powder, seasoning salt over the top layer, and sometimes more Worcestershire. Place back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
Repeat an additional three more times for a total of 1 hour and 15 minutes baking time in the oven. **The reason I add the additional 15 minutes is because I use so much butter. You absolutely can cut 1 stick of butter if you like and only use 2 sticks of butter instead of 3 and you will not need the extra 15 minutes of baking time.
In the last half hour to 45 minutes of baking time, I may or may not add more garlic powder and seasoning salt and/or Worcestershire Sauce. It all depends on how salty it is tasting AND yes, when you take it out after each 15-minute interval - give it a taste to see if is bold and savory enough!
Leave in the pans to cool down or you can spread it out on to sheet pans if you like. I never do because I already have a ton of dishes to do and don’t want to wash any more than necessary.
THIS Chex Mix will be an EXTRA BOLD AND EXTRA SAVORY CHEX MIX and it all depends on your own tastes HOW BOLD and HOW SAVORY you want your Chex Mix. My family LOVES it super bold and super salty and super Worcestershire-y (is that even a word??)