The trick with Nuts and Bolts is to make sure that the butter and spices evenly coat the mix. We used to just melt the butter and add everything in, but we noticed that the spices would separate from the butter. This year mom had a bit of a Eureka moment and we have come up with a way of preventing that separation.
Melt butter in a microwave safe measuring cup. In a separate measuring cup combine the Worcestershire sauce, onion, and garlic powder until it forms a thick paste.
Add a little butter at a time to the paste whisking vigorously until all the butter is added.
In a large bowl combine the rice Chex, 0’s, stick pretzels, star puff crackers, cornflakes, and pretzel bites. Pour ¼ of the butter mixture over the dry mix gently stirring, repeat this process until the butter mixture is gone.
Pour mixture into a roasting pan or spread evenly over a baking sheet. We have a rather large baking sheet which is approximately 21½” by 16” but you could spread it cover two regular baking sheets. Just make sure that the baking sheets fit into your oven without touching each other.
Bake in a 250°F oven for 1-1½ hours gently stirring every 15 minutes. The mixture will darken in colour and should be dry. We always do a taste test to see if the pieces are crunchy. Keep in mind if they are still warm, they may still seem a little wet. If you are unsure remove the mixture from the oven, allow it to cool before testing it again. If it still needs a bit more time throw it back in checking the mixture every 5-10 minutes. Enjoy
