Spicy Ranch Chex mix is always a crowd pleaser. For any of the big holidays, we make sure to make extra. Obviously none of it goes to waste! And it never fails, our friends start dropping hints about us making another big batch.
Rather than measuring out the Chex cereal, and other add ins, we pretty much use the entire boxes. Clearly we had to adjust the recipe to account for such huge amounts of cereal, pretzels, nuts and more!
Next, we use plenty of Franks Red Hot Sauce and Hidden Valley Ranch! With this in mind, you know we had to spice up the add ins too! In order to keep the flavors lively, we use Gardetto special request rye chips. Alternatively, you can add in any of your favorite spicy crackers! Make this mix your own!
Spicy Ranch Chex Mix for a Crowd
Ingredients
Ingredients for wet mix:
- 1 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Wing sauce
- 4 sticks of butter
- 4 1 oz packages ranch dip seasoning
- 1 tablespoon garlic granules
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (more if you want it super spicy!)
Ingredients for dry mix:
- 1 box rice chex cereal
- 1 box corn chex cereal
- 1 box wheat chex cereal
- 1 16 ounce bag mini pretzels
- 1 16 oz jar roasted salted peanuts
- 1 12.4 oz box white cheddar cheese-its
- 1 11.4 oz box zesty ranch cheese-it grooves
- 2 14 oz bags Gardettos special request rye chips
- 1 lb roasted cashews
Instructions
Equipment needed
- 2 large bowls or the top and bottom of a large turkey pan
- 1 sauté pot
- Wooden spoon
- If using a double oven, 5 rimmed cookie sheets
- If using a single oven, 3 large baking pans (disposable aluminum pans work!)
Step 1:
- Divide all dry mix ingredients between the 2 large pans
- Mix gently by scooping with hands underneath and bringing mixture to top
Step 2:
- Preheat oven to 250 F
- If you have a double oven, pre heat both!
- Put all ingredients from list of wet mix into pan
- Cook on medium to low heat until butter is melted
- Using a half cup measuring cup drizzle the warm mixture over each pan
- Continue to do so until evenly distributed
- Allow mixture to cool enough to be able to mix with hands
- Use hands to make sure all the dry ingredients are pulled up from bottom and sides so that all is coated with seasoning wet mixture
- At this point, taste a few pieces of the chex cereal, for taste.
- Feel free to add a bit more cayenne or garlic powder over the top
Step 3:
- Place pans in oven
- Set timer for 15 minutes
- Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes
- Allow to cool
- Store chex mix in tins, or mason jars or plastic bags
Notes
Get crazy with this mix! Sub out other nuts into this. Add bugles, gold fish, any kind of cracker!