Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the ETC Team. We hope you are enjoying the traditions of the season with family and friends. Not surprisingly, many of our traditions revolve around food. One of those traditions is my annual multiple batches of Chex Mix.

I used to watch my dad make Chex Mix growing up and I have kept the tradition going in our house even when we are Traveling Across Europe. It can be a challenge when the “cereal aisle” consists mostly of five different kinds of muesli! When our winter travel plans include Europe, I usually end up making this with some generic brand of Crispix and do the best I can with what’s available. It’s always fun to make and delicious to eat!

Having eaten Chex Mix at parties over the years I know everyone has their own take on the original. My version includes a couple additions and subtractions, a “proprietary blend” of the cereals, and slightly different technique.

I also always make a double batch because let’s face it, have you ever had too much Chex Mix?

Greg’s Chex Mix Recipe

Preheat oven to 250°F
12 oz butter
4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Frank’s Hot Sauce
4 cups Wheat Chex
7 cups Corn Chex
7 cups Rice Chex
1 cup pretzels
1 cup sesame sticks
2 cups Cheez-Its
1 cup toffee peanuts
1 cup honey roasted cashews

In a large roasting pan add the first six ingredients. I always err on the large side. The butter is always cut a little past the line, spoons are always heaping, etc. As for the hot sauce, shake in as much as feels good. You can add a lot before it is very noticeable. I would guess I usually add about 2 teaspoons. Once the butter has melted, mix it all together.

Now add just the Wheat Chex, then the Corn and Rice Chex, then everything else. Once all the ingredients are in the roaster, use a wooden spoon to mix it all together. Be sure to turn from the bottom to get the butter mixture over everything.

Put it in the oven for an hour stirring every 15 minutes. Always be sure to get the buttery goodness from the bottom mixed in every time you stir. After an hour, spread it all out onto paper towels to cool. However, snacking begins as soon as it is out of the oven (don’t burn your mouth)! 

Why the “proprietary mix” you ask? When I was younger, I didn’t like the wheat as much, so I cut back on the amount I used. But I also discovered if I added the wheat first, it soaked up more of the butter making it more palatable…one might even say desirable.

I use pretzel sticks only because that’s what I remember my dad using. Every year I think I should use the little bite-size pretzels. It would make more sense and be easier to eat. But I just can’t bring myself to do it when I’m buying the ingredients at the grocery store.

Sesame sticks? I just like them.

Cheez-Its? Chelsea likes them.

The nuts? When I was younger, I remember the family picking through to get to the cashews. At the end you were just left with Brazil nuts and other undesirables. So, I thought why not just buy cashews and peanuts and avoid those other mixed nuts. Toffee coated and honey roasted…even better!!!

What do you add to your Chex Mix? Leave us a comment and share what makes your version special!

We hope you will feast on this recipe of Chex Mix while you are dreaming about travel to Europe in the coming year! We’re getting ready to make multiple batches as family and friends visit over the coming days. Euro Travel Coach wishes you and your family the merriest Christmas and all the best for the holiday season.

If you see travel in the New Year, we can help with that! Remember that we are always available to you and your friends and family for custom trip planning to Italy and all of Europe. We are experts in creating custom travel itineraries and leading small group trips in Europe. Feel free to reach out via email — we are always available to talk about travel!

Greg Ball – Greg is co-founder and partner of Euro Travel Coach (ETC), which crafts custom European vacations for independent travelers and leads small group tours to Europe. In his previous life he taught Woodwinds and Jazz at the university level for 30 years. As a professor he took his bands to England, Ireland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, and England. Since “retiring” in 2017, he and his wife/ETC co-founder, Betsy, have been traveling through Europe for up to nine months of the year. Together they have visited over 40 countries and counting! He loves cooking, hiking, listening to and playing music, and wine. Greg holds a Level 3 certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust.