Sweet Spicy Salty Smoky Snack Mix Food

SWEET, SPICY, SALTY, SMOKY SNACK MIX

Steps:

• Preheat smoker to 225F (you will use a fruit wood like apple or cherry) OR you can use the oven--it just won't have a hint of smokiness. Maggie asked if you could just use a drop or two of liquid smoke, I don't know, but will try it.
• Line a sheet pan with foil and spray with a light oil OR use a Non-Stick Foil to line your sheet pan....set aside.
• Put all the cracker ingredients (cereal, pretzels, bugles, crackers and nuts) into a big bowl and mix. My brother thinks popcorn would be a good addition and I agree.
• In a medium saucepan add in the butter, sugar, syrup hot sauce and salt. Bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. It's going to foam up....keep stirring.
• Immediately pour over the dry ingredients and fold over....not stir. Dump this onto your foil-lined pan sheet and spread out.
• Place this pan sheet on the smoker and smoke using a fruit wood such as apple, pear or cherry with a mix of maple for an hour. NOTE: If you don't have a smoker, just finish it in the oven.
• Remove your pan and allow to cool completely before breaking apart.

SWEET SPICY SMOKEY ROASTED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, chop the bacon into small pieces. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, pour off most of the bacon fat from the hot skillet and add the butter. Add the sugar, five-spice powder, cayenne and salt and stir until the sugar dissolves and everything is combined. Add the almonds and stir to coat.
• Spread the nuts on the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Stir in the bacon and serve warm or at room temperature.

SMOKY AND SPICY PARTY MIX

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Gently mix corn, rice, and wheat squares, oat rings, mixed nuts, mini pretzels, goldfish crackers, and sesame snacks in two 13x24-inch aluminum roasting pans, taking care not to break cereal.
• Stir bacon drippings, unsalted butter, Worcestershire sauce, MSG, liquid smoke, cayenne pepper, seasoned salt, chili powder, garlic powder, and hot pepper sauce together in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high in microwave for 3 or 4 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until mixture is warm, liquid, and fully combined.
• Stir seasoning sauce continuously as you pour half over the cereal mixture in each pan. Gently stir the snack mix and seasonings with a slotted spoon until thoroughly coated; do not crush cereal.
• Bake in the preheated oven until sauce is completely absorbed and the snack mix is crisp, about 2 hours; stir gently every 15 minutes. Cool completely and store in airtight containers. The snack mix stores well in freezer in airtight freezer bags, if it makes it that long.

SWEET AND SALTY SNACK MIX

Steps:

• Place cereal, pecans, almonds, cashews, coconut, and raisins in a large brown paper bag or large microwave-safe bowl and stir or shake to mix.
• Melt 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour over the cereal mixture and stir to coat.
• Microwave on high in three 90-second intervals, stirring between intervals, 4 1/2 minutes total. Spread out to cool before breaking apart.