cheesy buffalo ranch pretzel snack mix
The perfect snack to keep everyone occupied while you Irish Goodbye at a party you don’t want to be at.
Snack mixes are the best holiday appetizer because you can make huge quantities for relatively cheap, and pretty much no one except a tasteless wench would complain. Especially when Goldfish or Cheez-its are involved.
Last year I contributed the Gingersnap Munch Mix and it was positively devoured, but this year I wanted a savory offering to match the sticky-tongue sweetness too much of the aforementioned might cause. Gotta balance it out, you know? And of late, buffalo anything has been my shitdiggity. I have three buffalo recipes, not including this one, in my queue. So Ihope amongst ya’ll there’s some who are not rebuffed by buffalo.
Today’s offering? A simple but screamingly good blend of Goldfish, Cheez-its, Chex, and pretzels tossed with buffalo sauce and ranch seasoning, then baked crispy. Dangerously addicting and perfect for a crowd of hungry Christmas guests. Hosting a tailgate? Perfect for that, too. Massive craving for crunchy carbs? Have at it.
One Step, Much Nom
Pretty much this recipe is done in one seamless flow of assemblage, so my babbling will be blessedly brief here.
Melt some butter, stir in buffalo sauce and my homemade ranch seasoning blend that’s cropped up in many a random recipe involving ranch. Grab the absolute biggest bowl you have – a Dutch oven works fine, too, that’s what I used – and pour in your mix of snack inclusions. I call for corn Chex in the recipe card, but you can use wheat if you want too. No matter.
Pour in the sauce mix and toss everything around for a couple minutes. You really do need a decent amount of time to make sure all is properly coated. You can be polite and use a couple wooden spoons, but I’m a caveman and just dug my hands into the crap. Don’t worry, I washed them properly first. I’m not an ignorant ho.
Spread the snack mix onto two baking sheets lined with parchment. Overlap will prevent the crackers and shit from crisping up properly, and soggy snack mix is no bueno.
Bake the mix until crispy and turning golden in parts (which might be hard to tell because the cheesy stuff is already orange, but you’ll see a hint of darkening). Let the munch cool for about 10 minutes or so, then pile it into a bowl and dish it out!
If you plan to make the mix ahead, cool completely before placing into an airtight container. This stuff keeps remarkably well for around a week, but I assure you it won’t last anywhere near that long.
Keep this in your back pocket for Christamas and any future entertaining, and keep your eyes peeled for another fun app tomorrow!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
cheesy buffalo ranch pretzel snack mix
Ingredients
- 3 cups pretzels
- 3 cups mixed goldfish and Cheez-its
- 2 cups rice chex
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- 1/2 cup buffalo sauce
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried dill
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment.
- In a VERY large bowl (I used my cast iron Dutch oven, actually), combine the pretzels, goldfish, Cheez-its, Chex, butter, buffalo sauce, parsley, smoked paprika, garlic, onion, and dill. Season with salt and pepper, then toss until everything is thoroughly coated, about 2-3 minutes. I just used my hands to throw everything around.
- Spread the snack mix on the two baking sheets in a single layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring once halfway through baking time, until crisped and golden. Let cool slightly, then serve, or cool completely and store for up to a week.
