the secret to great gluten free chex mix

Chex Mix is one of those things you might think about making during the winter holidays, but it is so easy to make, and brings such delight to people when they see it presented, that it really should be allowed to come out to play more often. As you may be aware, there is a big eating event, and even a football game this Sunday. Surprise your friends and family with a batch of Chex Mix, and watch your gluten free guests light up when you let them know they can eat it too.

You can find the original Chex Mix recipe here, and my gluten free version is similar but there are a couple of tricks that I have learned the hard way. Instead of three different kinds of cereal, I use just Rice Chex. A gluten free corn variety is also available, but the flavor does not fit here. Stick with all rice. A cup of bagel chips is called for, and I know they make gluten free bagel chips, but it has been ages since I have seen them in a store, I use Pop Chips instead. The final ingredient tweak is to double the seasoning mix. Rice is bland, boring, flavorless, it needs a lot more help then its wheaty brother. Lastly, a key technique. When mixing the wet and dry ingredients you need to hold back the Pop Chips, or bagel chips. Those things are very sponge like and if you pour the butter mixture directly over them they become soggy, over seasoned bits, and less flavor is left for the mixture around them.

 

9 cups Gluten Free Rice Chex

1 cup gluten free small pretzels

1 cup salted nuts, use which ever are your favorite

1 cup bagel chips, or Pop Chips, broken into small pieces

12 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons Lee & Perrin's Worchestshire sauce *

3 teaspoons Lawry's Seasoned Salt*

1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic

1 teaspoon granulated onion

 

Heat the oven to 250F.

In a big bowl, mix Chex, pretzels, and nuts.

Place butter, worchestshire, salt, garlic, and onion into a small bowl and microwave until the butter is melted. Stir well to combine.

Pour about a third of the butter mixture over the cereal mixture and stir well. Do that again. Do it one last time. Add in the bagel chips or Pop Chips and give it all one last stir.

Pour the raw Chex Mix onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake in a 250 oven for 1 1/2 hours. If you can remember to give it a stir every 15 minutes, great, but as long as you stir it a couple of times during the baking it will turn out just fine. Let the mix cool (it will crisp up further as it does) and serve. So, so good.

 

*The brand names you know, Lee & Perrin's Worchestshire, and Lawry's season salt are made without gluten. If you are using a different brand, be sure to check your labels.

 

 

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