TRASH (PARTY MIX)

My kiddos want to know why I only make this at Christmas because they love it so much.  With the 5 of us home for the holidays, believe it or not we go through all those jars!  It's perfect to have with cocktails while we are playing games, and that is usually how we spend most of our holidays together.  Since this makes a large amount it works best to divide it in half and make it in two batches. I have been experimenting with the seasonings and so far this is my best guess. I only put the snacks that my family loves – some people put pretzel sticks, cheerios, oyster crackers, other chex cereal and more. If you do this just try and be sure your total cups = close to the 50 I have listed below. I have made it with fewer cups, but don't go over 50 or you won't get a good flavor of seasonings.  Good luck getting people to pour out the amount they want to eat – I am constantly catching my grown children with their fingers in the jar – and that doesn’t make mama happy!

6 c. Wheat Chex (14 oz. box)
15 c. Bugles (14.5 oz. bag)
6 c. sesame sticks (2 – 9 oz. bags)
4 c. corn nuts (3 – 4 oz. bags)
7 c. Gardetto’s Roasted Garlic Rye Chips (2 – 8 oz. bags)
4 c. Crispix (or 2 c. each of Rice Chex and Corn Chex)
8 c. Deluxe Mixed Nuts (40 oz. container)


Seasonings:

3 sticks butter
1 c. Worchestershire sauce
2 TB seasoned salt (or 6 t.)
1 TB + 1 t. garlic powder (or 4 t.)
1 TB + 1 t. onion powder (or 4 t.)
Tabasco (I use 4 TB; adjust if too spicy or not spicy enough – This amount leaves some heat in your mouth but isn’t too spicy while you are eating it.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Divide seasoning ingredients in half and bring to a boil in a saucepan; simmer 3-4 minutes. Put half of the dry ingredients in a roasting pan and pour seasonings over them; mix well. Bake for about an hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so to be sure it doesn’t stick on the bottom. Dump it on wax paper until it is cooled. Repeat with the other half of the ingredients. Store it in sealed containers.