Original Chex Party Mix

6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3 cups each Corn, Rice and Wheat Chex cereal
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup pretzels
1 cup garlic-flavoured bagel chips, broken into 1-inch pieces

Oven:
Heat oven to 250F. In large roasting pan, melt butter. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in remaining ingredients until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels until cooled; store in airtight container.

Makes 12 cups

Hot & Spicy Chex Mix

1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2-3 teaspoons red pepper sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons seasoned salt
3 cups each Corn, Rice and Wheat Chex cereal
1 cup pretzels
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup bite-size cheese crackers

Heat oven to 250F. In large roasting pan, melt butter. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt and red pepper sauce. Gradually stir in remianing ingredients until evenly coated. Bake uncovered 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels until cooled; store in airtight container.

Makes 12 cups

Chex Muddy Buddies
(also known as "Puppy Chow")

9 cups Rice, Corn, or Honey Nut Chex cereal (or a mixture)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Cook uncovered on high 1 minute; stir. Cook 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth; stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon zip-top plastic bag. Add powdered sugar; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper until cooled; store in airtight container.

Makes 9 cups

Chex Brittle

8 cups Rice Chex cereal
1 cup salted peanuts
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 325F. Spray two 5x10-inch pans with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix all ingredients until evenly coated. Spread in pans in single layer; bake 12 minutes. Spread on waxed paper until cooled; store in airtight container.

Makes 10 cups

Slow Cooker Spiced Party Nut Mix

6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (1.25 oz.) envelope taco seasoning mix
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups pecan halves
2 cups roasted unsalted cashews
2 cups walnut halves
2 cups unblanched whole almonds
3 cups bite-size cheese crackers
2 cups sourdough pretzel nuggets

In 4- to 5-quart slow cooker, mix butter, taco seasoning mix, cinnamon and red pepper. Add remaining ingredients; toss gently. Cook uncovered on low heat 3-4 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until nuts are toasted. Turn off heat and serve with a large spoon.

Serves 26

Curried Snack Mix

3 cups Corn Chex cereal
3 cups Cheerios cereal
3 cups small pretzel twists
2 cups salted cashew pieces
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon garlic salt

Heat oven to 250F. In 10x15x1-inch pan, mix cereals, pretzels, cashews, raisins, and cranberries. In small bowl mix remaining ingreidents and pour over cereal mixture; stir to coat well.

Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, until crispy and well coated wtih seasoning. Spread on waxed paper to cool.

Serves 24

Ginger Spiced Almonds

5 cups blanched whole almonds
1 cup suar
1 tablespoon grated gingerroot
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 egg whites
1/3 cup butter, cut into pieces

Heat oven to 325F. In 15x10x1-inch pan, spread almonds. Bake 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix remianing ingredients except egg whites and butter; set aside. In large bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Continue beating, adding sugar mixture. Fold in almonds.

Place butter in same pan almonds were in. Place in oven 3-5 minutes or until butter is melted. Spread almond mixture over butter. Bake 30-35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until almonds are brown and no butter remains. Cool completely, about 1 hour; store in airtight container.

Serves 32

Roasted Sesame and Honey Snack Mix

3 cups any Chex cereal
3 cups checkerboard-shaped pretzels
3 cups sesame sticks
1 cup mixed nuts
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sesame seed, toasted

Heat oven to 275F. In ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan, mix cereal, pretzels, sesame sticks and nuts. In small bowl, mix remaining ingredients; pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated.

Bake 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread on waxed paper to cool completely.

Serves 20

Beer Lover's Peanuts

4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 cups lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts

In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in Cajun seasoning and red pepper. Stir in peanuts. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until peanuts are evenly coated and hot. Cool slightly; serve warm or cool.

Serves 16