Keep-Your-Mouth-Busy-Party-Mix
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What’s the best way for you to avoid a faux pas at your next party? You know, like when you introduce someone’s trophy husband as their son? Keep a bowl of party mix on hand to keep your mouth busy. But here’s the deal: Most party mixes are made with boxed cereals. And here’s more of the deal: Those cereals are designed to get soggy quickly, even when toasted.
Let’s make a crunchier, tastier version of the standard that’s got a bigger variety of textures (for mouth busyness) and lots more spicy flavors (for yum).
Author © Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough
Photograph © Eric Medsker
Prep Time | 8 Minutes |
Cook Time | 6 Minutes |
Passive Time | 5 Minutes (cooling time) |
Servings |
10 Servings
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Ingredients
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp mild smoked paprika
- 1 tsp table salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
- 1 rounded cup broken plain unseasoned bagel chips
- 1 rounded cup unseasoned thin halved pretzel sticks do not use thick pretzel rods
- 1 cup unsalted, unseasoned mixed nuts, plain
- 16 small round rice crackers broken up, each about 2 inches diameter
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Stir the melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and cayenne (if using) in a large bowl until uniform.
- Add the bagel chips, pretzel sticks, nuts, and rice crackers. Toss and stir until everything is yummy-coated, with no more than a drop or two of melted butter at the bottom of the bowl.
- Set the machine to Air Fry. Set the temperature to 350°F and the timer to 8 Minutes (which will be a little more than you need). Press Start.
- When the machine beeps, indicating Add Food, or is heated to the proper temperature, scrape and pour the ingredients from the bowl into the basket or onto the tray in a fairly compact layer, although with some overlap. The party mix should not be more than
1/2 inch deep. Use separate trays or work in batches as necessary. - Air-fry, tossing the ingredients once every minute but otherwise ignoring any Turn Food indicator, until the mix is lightly browned and quite fragrant, maybe 5 or 6 Minutes. If you’ve used multiple trays, swap them top to bottom at about the halfway point in the cooking process. You may also want to Air-Fry the mix for 1 or 2 Minutes longer than we suggest if you like a bit of a burnt crunch.
- Turn off the machine and dump the party mix into a large bowl. Wait for at least 5 Minutes to dig in. The party mix can be kept at room temperature for about an hour.
Upgrade This Recipe:
- Add
1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas) with the bagel chips. - For a dairy-free mix, substitute
3 tbsp peanut oil or coconut oil for the butter. - Substitute rendered bacon fat for the butter. (You don’t have any around? Turn to page 151 and make some Irresistible Bacon.)