A good snack mix has crispy bits. It has crunchy bits. It has enough variety that you can discretely pick around the rye crisps, but not so much that you lose track of what you’re eating. After quite a bit of research and development, my go-to is as follows:

• 3 c Crispix
• 2 c Cheez-Its
• 2 c Wheat Chex
• 2 c Mini Pretzels
• 1 c Peanuts
• 1/2 c Butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 c Brown Sugar
• 1/2 t Onion Powder
• 1/2 t Garlic Powder
• 1/2 t Smoked Paprika
• 1/2 t Black Pepper
• 1/4 t Cayenne Pepper
• 1/4 c Sesame Seeds

Preheat oven to 250 F.

Measure cereal, crackers, pretzels, and peanuts into a large bowl.

Melt the butter completely in the microwave. Mix in the sugar, spices, and sesame seeds. Pour over the cereal mixture. Toss gently but thoroughly.

Spread thinly on sheet trays and bake until crispy, about an hour. You’re essentially just cooking off the moisture from the butter. If you haven’t got enough sheet trays (or oven space) you can use a 9x13 pan instead. In that case, stir every 15 minutes or so to avoid a soggy bottom.

Makes about 10 cups of snack mix.