And Messing With Texas

Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in.

I went to Wal-Mart today to pick up some items I needed, and while I was there, I thought about the total lack of snacks for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving meal. I felt like I had to do something. I fell back on my old standby: Texas trash.

Texas trash is Chex cereal mixed with a lot of other stuff and baked. It’s supposed to be acidic and spicy.

I like to start with prepackaged Chex Mix, simply because it’s most of the way there when you buy it. You don’t have to add crackers or anything. The Chex people took the peanuts out of Chex Mix a long time ago, so that’s the main solid ingredient you need to add.

Two years ago, I found a recipe online and changed it (because it was sad and lame), and I was pretty happy with it. Today I looked at it, and I decided it was not manly enough. Seemed like there was too little of everything in it. I came up with this:

INGREDIENTS

family-size bag (5 cups) cheddar Chex Mix
2 cups cocktail peanuts.
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons Frank’s hot sauce
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon prepared mustard (I used French’s)
1-1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

I heated the butter and liquids and stirred the seasonings into the mixture. I put the Chex Mix on a roasting pan, tossed it in the mixture, and put it in the oven at 250°. Last time, I baked it for one hour. I don’t think that’s enough. I want it to have some crunch. I’m going for 1-1/2 hours.

The mustard made a huge difference. It added more acid, and it contributed zing without heat.

If I were making this for myself, I would double the chipotle powder.

Bacon grease might work better than butter. Black cardamom might be a good addition.

I don’t know how it will come out, but at least I can say I have one snack to offer.

MORE

I tried the trash, and I could not stop eating it. I had to drag myself off of it. I liked it so much, I decided to double the sauce. I edited the recipe to say 1 bag of Chex Mix instead of 2.

Now how do I keep from eating it once it’s ready?