The Perfect July 4th Snack

Photo, above, courtesy of General Mills.
Photo of Kristen Olson, below, by Richard Swearinger 

We get lots of wonderful folks coming through our Test Kitchen; today it was Kristen Olson a food editor from General Mills, right, who came down from the home office in Minneapolis to demonstrate some of the new Chex mix recipes that have come through their test kitchens.

A couple of years ago, they came up with a way to make the snack mixes in the microwave; they're just as crunchy and have the same house-filling aroma as the versions you bake in a conventional oven.

For Independence Day, Kristen recommends this recipe because it is perfect for the kind of on-the-go all day eating that happens on the 4th (it won't melt when it's sitting out in the sun, for instance). For more amazing Chex Mix recipes, click here.

2 cups Corn Chex cereal

2 cups Rice Chex cereal

2 cups Wheat Chex cereal

2 cups bite-size pretzel twists

2 cups mixed nuts

1/3 cup butter or margarine

2 tablespoons Creole seasoning

1 teaspoon red pepper sauce

1. In large microwavable bowl, mix cereals, pretzels and nuts.
2. In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave butter uncovered on High about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in Creole seasoning and pepper sauce. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.
3. Microwave uncovered on High 6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool. Store in airtight container. Makes 24 Servings (1/2 cup each)