Sichuan Chex Mix

Foreword

Chris grew up eating his mother’s delicious homemade Chex mix, which she made in truly massive batches. He never stopped to think about about how so much Chex mix could be produced from a home kitchen though. Many years later it finally dawned on Chris - he had known there was an oven under the microwave and an oven under the cooktop, but he’d never put it together - there were two ovens!

Many years later, after being introduced to the numbing sensation of the ingredient, Chris became obsessed with Sichuan pepper - trying it in a number of different recipes. This variation of the classic American snack really lets the Sichuan pepper shine.

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 12 Tbsp salted butter
• 4 tsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp cayenne
• 2 Tbsp ground Sichuan pepper

Mix:

• 9 cups rice Chex
• 2 cups Butter Snaps pretzels
• 3 cups honey sesame sticks

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F, using convection bake mode.
2. Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl.
3. Stir in the rest of the marinade ingredients.
4. In a 10 by 15 inch roasting pan, stir together the Chex, pretzels, and sesame sticks.
5. While continuing to stir the Chex mix, slowly pour the marinade onto it.
6. Bake for about an hour, stirring on the 15, 30, 45, and 55 minute marks. Check the Chex that look most saturated for doneness; they may seem not entirely crispy due to the heat, but they should not be wet. Continue to bake as needed, checking at 5 to 10 minute intervals.
7. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

For those who like it spicy, add an extra 1 Tbsp of ground Sichuan pepper to the marinade.

If you don’t have roasting pans, pots and pans are often oven-safe at 300°F. It may just take longer for the Chex to dry out.