The summer before my senior year of college, I did an internship at Walgreens. Although I wasn’t interested in going into retail management, the position was going to look good on my resume and the pay was above average. It ended up being more fun than I anticipated. The job definitely had its lows—like confronting shoplifters and restocking shelves late into the evening—but I worked with a colorful cast of characters and I enjoyed chatting with customers while working the cash register (nerd alert!).

When it came to restocking, my favorite items to put away were in the snack foods and candy aisle…no surprise there! I always volunteered to do those over the shampoos, the paper products, or the medicines…especially the medicines! One snack food I remember restocking frequently were the bags of Chex mix. I was rather familiar with the flavors, including hot & spicy, peanut lovers, and honey nut, occasionally buying a bag to snack on during my shift.

I must say, this homemade mix from Martha Stewart Living beats any of the bags I ever bought! Cayenne, garlic, and rosemary are the key flavors here. The original recipe made a puny amount. I tripled the recipe (my version is below) and it filled a gallon sized Ziploc bag.

This ranks right up there with the Life cereal mix and is leaps and bounds of what you’ll find at your neighborhood Walgreens!

Nuts and Bolts Snack Mix

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Author: Natalie McLaury
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 1 gallon-sized bag 1x

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Description

This homemade snack mix combines the bold flavors of cayenne, garlic, and rosemary for a deliciously seasoned treat that surpasses any store-bought variety.

Ingredients

Units Scale

9 cups (72 oz) toasted corn cereal (Chex)
4 1/2 cups (36 oz) bite-size pretzels
3 cups (24 oz) salted dry-roasted peanuts
6 garlic cloves
1 1/2 tsp (12 ml) coarse salt
15 tbsp (2 sticks less 1 tbsp) unsalted butter
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions

Preheat oven to 225°F (107°C).
In a large bowl, combine the corn cereal, pretzels, and peanuts. You may need to divide into two bowls if necessary.
Mince the garlic cloves and mash them into a paste with the coarse salt.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the garlic paste, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and rosemary until well combined.
Pour the butter mixture over the cereal mixture, stirring to coat evenly.
Spread the mixture in an even layer on a large baking sheet.
Bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until the mix is golden brown and crisp.
Allow the mix to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Notes

This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart Living Magazine, June 2011. Store the mix in an airtight container to maintain freshness. Feel free to adjust the cayenne pepper to suit your spice preference. This mix is perfect for parties or as a gift.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Category: Snack
Cuisine: American