Best Spicy Snack Mix – Nuts and Bolts Recipe

Tasty Recipe for Holiday Party Mix Christmas Treat

Nov 14, 2009 Thomas Alan Gray

One of the best recipes for a deluxe party snack mix (known as "Nuts and Bolts", "Meli-Melo" or "Chex Snack Mix"), this is sure to be a holiday party favorite.

Always a popular party mix snack is the concoction referred to as "nuts and bolts" because the combination of pretzel sticks and round oat serial resembles the hardware. Children are fond of slipping the little oat rings over the pretzels.

This recipe was handed down in the author's family as "Christmas Scrabble" and dates back at least to the early 1960s and possibly back to the 1940s. There are various other recipes around, using a variety of cereals and similar ingredients. One version uses the Chex brand cereals, and is common to the point where some people refer to this snack as "Chex Mix".

There are also many commercial versions sold under a various brand names such as Christie's Bits and Bites (Méli-Mélo). However, none of the commercial nuts and bolts and few other recipes can match the flavor of this home-made spicy snack mix.

Ingredients for "Bits and Bites" Type Best Nuts and Bolts Spicy Snack Mix

Except for the butter, sauce, and seasoning salt, portions are approximate. Using more cereal, nuts, and pretzels will extend the amount of snack but will reduce the intensity of the flavor. Other cereals may be substituted for the named brands but will give a completely different flavor and texture.

  • 450 g (1 lb) butter, melted (margarine may be used, but butter gives the best flavor)
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) seasoning salt
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) onion salt
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) garlic powder
  • 250 g (1 lb) salted peanuts
  • 125 g (1/2 lb) almonds
  • 125 g (1/2 lb) deluxe mixed nuts, no peanuts
  • 400 g (12 oz) pretzel sticks (one bag)
  • 520 g (18 oz) Cheerios brand cereal (one standard box in Canada)
  • 625 g (23 oz) Shreddies brand cereal (one standard box in Canada)

Decades of experimentation has shown that this recipe gives the most satisfactory results.

Directions for Making Best Spicy Snack Mix Nuts and Bolts aka "Méli-Mélo"

This is best made in a large, high-sided roasting pan, though two smaller pans can be used if necessary.

  1. Preheat oven to 250 F (125 C)
  2. Rub inside roaster(s) with garlic
  3. Loosely mix nuts, pretzels, and cereals in the roaster(s)
  4. Melt butter in a sauce pan over low heat; add seasonings and mix well.
  5. Drizzle liquid seasoning blend over dry mix in roaster
  6. Stir thoroughly
  7. Cook at 250 F for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes
  8. Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Stored at a cool temperature in large, tightly sealed containers, this confection will last several months (though it's so tempting, it will seldom hang around that long!)

The flavor matures during storage and permeates the ingredients, so resist the temptation to eat it all at once!

A fancy jar full spicy nuts and bolts makes a terrific Christmas gift, and is a great "hostess gift" to take along to a party.

Other Holiday Party Recipes

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The copyright of the article Best Spicy Snack Mix – Nuts and Bolts Recipe in Party Food is owned by Thomas Alan Gray. Permission to republish Best Spicy Snack Mix – Nuts and Bolts Recipe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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