Crunchy Parmesan Popcorn Mix

Savory snack mixes have been a party staple since the 1950s, when the original Chex Party Mix recipe first appeared in Life Magazine and home cooks began riffing on the formula. By the 1990s, a lighter wave of cooking had taken hold, and cooks like Mary Ringlein were finding ways to keep the crunch and the flavor without the butter and fat of earlier versions. Her Crunchy Parmesan Popcorn Mix swaps cereal for air-popped popcorn and fat-free pretzels, seasons the mix with Italian seasoning and garlic powder, coats it in a spray of oil and a blanket of Parmesan, then slow-bakes it at 325° until perfectly toasted. It’s the kind of bowl that empties fast at a party — savory, crunchy, and impossible to stop eating.