Spicy Chex Mix

My son likes to make spicy chex mix as Christmas gifts for family and friends. He first made it for an assignment for his middle school family & consumer science course. Since it is one of his favorites, my daughter has baked it to send to her brother in a college care package.

Food Timeline

When my son was in 5^th grade, we checked the website http://www.foodtimeline.org/ to get a snack idea for the traditional 5^th grade 50s party. We learned that the chex mix recipe originated in this period and sent in our version as a treat. We used the same site to find a recipe for my daughter’s Brownie Girl Scout decade meal potluck. Since Bisquick appeared in the 1930s, we made cheeseburger pie as our contribution. This helped my daughter earn her Brownie Girl Scouts through the Years Try-It. You can find the recipe at http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/impossibly-easy-cheeseburger-pie/8c78aa78-c368-40fa-8a88-1654640c7525. Of course, this was before my daughter became a vegetarian.

Our Version

Our recipe is based on one we found in a make your own Christmas gifts book. Be careful. Depending on your peppers, it can be pretty spicy. We usually make two batches at a time since it does not last long in our house.  Sometimes we substitute Wheat Chex and/or Crispix for the Corn and Rice Chex and Cheez-Its for the Goldfish crackers. For a special treat, we replace some or all of the peanuts with cashews. My son adds extra cayenne pepper for a fiery version. For a school fundraiser, our recipe was published in A Taste of Norcross High School: Healthy Lifestyle 2010 Edition.

Ingredients

3	Tbsp	Butter, melted
3	Tbsp	Margarine, melted
2	Tsp	Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning
½	Tsp	Oregano, dried
1	Tsp	Cumin, powdered
½	Tsp	Salt
2	Cloves	Garlic
1/3	Cup	Pickled jalapeño pepper slices, drained
3	Cups	Corn Chex cereal
3	Cups	Rice Chex cereal
3	Cups	Goldfish snack crackers
2	Cups	Peanuts, salted dry roasted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250°.
2.  Place nuts, crackers, and cereal in a large roasting pan.
3. Using a hand-head blender, blend jalapeño pepper slices, garlic, melted butter, melted margarine, and spices.
4. Slowly, pour spice mixture over cereal mixture. Toss gently with rubber spatula until well coated.
5.  Bake 1¼ hours, stirring every 15 minutes.
6. Spread on towels to cool. Store in an airtight container.