Chex Mix Recipes

While on the drive to Vermont a while back we got to talking about Chex mix, and I decided to search the interweb for recipes. Why make it at home when I can buy it at the grocery store? Because it's better. I remember my mom making it when I was a kid, and it's best when fresh. You can also customize the seasonings and snacking goods. If you take a look at the recipes on the Chex website you'll find upwards of 50 variations on the original mix. As for the add-ins, Banik can add bagel chips to his, and I can have peanuts in mine. I hadn't heard of this until about 15 minutes ago, but apparently Cheerios are also a common addition we'll have to try.

So on the Chex website the (half recipe, interestingly enough) "Original Chex Party Mix" says:

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 cups Corn Chex® cereal
1 1/2 cups Rice Chex® cereal
1 1/2 cups Wheat Chex® cereal
1/2 cup mixed nuts
1/2 cup bite-size pretzels
1/2 cup garlic-flavor bite-size bagel chips
or regular-size bagel chips, broken into 1-inch pieces

Heat oven to 250°F. In large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In ungreased 13x9-inch pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in cereal mixture until evenly coated. Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.

BUT I know that bagel chips weren't in any Chex mix I had as a kid, and I'm pretty sure they were a rather recent addition. Something there is wonky.

So I found a "Real Original Chex Party Mix" based on the recipe off of a 1950s Chex box that says:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1-1/4 teaspoons seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
3 cups Wheat Chex square cereal
2 cups Rice Chex square cereal
1-1/2 cups peanuts
1-1/2 cups small pretzel rods

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Melt butter in a shallow pan. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, and garlic salt (not garlic powder). Add Wheat Chex, Rice Chex, nuts (peanuts, pecans or cashews), and pretzel rods. Mix until all pieces are coated with the butter mixture. Place on a shallow baking pan with sides. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

AND THEN I looked at the comments for that recipe and learned that allegedly "Corn chex didn't come out until 1958. The 1952 recipe was wheat and rice chex, worcestershire, butter, nuts, salt and garlic salt. Seasoned salt and corn chex were added in the late 1950s."

So really, I'm not sure if anyone has the original recipe, but these are a good starting point. Now all I need is a real oven in which to try them.