Chex Party Mix

Few recipes in American food history have traveled as far as Chex Party Mix. Ralston Purina first introduced it in a Life Magazine advertisement in May 1952, using only Wheat Chex and Rice Chex. The recipe appeared on cereal boxes starting in 1953, and when Corn Chex arrived in 1958 it joined the mix. By the 1960s and ‘70s, nuts and pretzels were common additions — the version most families made their own. Mary Ringlein’s recipe stays true to the classic: butter, seasoned salt, and a generous pour of Worcestershire coating four kinds of Chex and salted mixed nuts, slow-baked at 250° and stirred every 15 minutes for a full hour. The smell coming out of the oven is pure nostalgia. Spread it out on absorbent paper to cool, and try not to eat it all before the guests arrive.