The Ferguson Recipes
| Nut Loaf 💤 ⏳ |
| Nuts & Bolts 🌄 💤 ⏰ |
| Nuts & Bolts - Carol's Version 💤 ⏳ |
| Nuts & Bolts - Mary's Version 💤 ⏳ |
| Oat Shortbread Cookies 🌄 🍽️ ⏰ |
| Oat Shortbread Cookies (Another One) 🌄 🍽️ ⏰ |
| Oatmeal and Cottage Cheese Pancakes 💤 ⏳ |
| Oatmeal Cake 💤 ⏳ |
| Oatmeal Pancakes With Bisquick 💤 ⏳ |
| Oatmeal Shortbread 💤 ⏳ |
| Old Fashion Chocolate Cake 💤 ⏳ |
| Old-fashioned Chicken Potpie With Chive Mashed Potato Crust 💤 ⏳ |
| Olive Oil And Orange Cake 💤 ⏳ |
| Olive Oil, Honey & Apple Cake 💤 ⏳ |
| Omelets - Some Good Ideas for a Sunday Brunch 💤 ⏳ |
| One Rib For Two 💤 ⏳ |
| Onion And Spinach Dip 💤 ⏳ |
| Orange Blossom Champagne Punch 💤 ⏳ |
| Orange Bran Flax Muffins 💤 ⏳ |
| Orange Bran Muffins 💤 ⏳ |
Click to Start Gallery*
Dave Ferguson's legendary Nuts & Bolts takes classic Chex Mix to new heights! This meticulously crafted snack mix combines Cheerios, various Chex cereals, thin pretzel sticks, and premium nuts in a buttery Worcestershire sauce seasoning. Slow-baked to perfection with careful attention to detail, this addictive treat delivers the perfect balance of savory flavors and satisfying crunch. The recipe's long history as a family favorite speaks to its timeless appeal – warning: makes 'not enough' because it disappears so quickly!
*Serving suggestion only. 😂 If an image doesn't look like it was taken by a monkey named Frank, it was AI generated and not the result of Frank's minimal culinary and/or photographic skills. Your recipes will not look like most of these images unless you failed the "I'm not a robot" test!
Ingredients
1 lb. butter (not margarine)
6 TBS. Worcestershire sauce
4 tsp. garlic powder
2 (heaping) TBS. Lawrey's Seasoning Salt
1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
6 oz. Cheerios (about 6 cups)
A total of 9 oz. (or 9 cups) of your favorite "chex" cereals**. I use:
4 oz. Crispix® (about 4 cups)
2 oz. Corn Chex® (about 2 cups)
2 oz. Rice Chex® (about 2 cups)
1 oz. Wheat Chex® (about 1 cup)
10 oz. pretzel sticks. Thin sticks work best. If you use regular sticks, use maybe 9 ounces and break them in half.
A total of 24 oz. (about 5 cups) of nuts ††. I use:
6 TBS. Worcestershire sauce
4 tsp. garlic powder
2 (heaping) TBS. Lawrey's Seasoning Salt
1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
6 oz. Cheerios (about 6 cups)
A total of 9 oz. (or 9 cups) of your favorite "chex" cereals**. I use:
4 oz. Crispix® (about 4 cups)
2 oz. Corn Chex® (about 2 cups)
2 oz. Rice Chex® (about 2 cups)
1 oz. Wheat Chex® (about 1 cup)
10 oz. pretzel sticks. Thin sticks work best. If you use regular sticks, use maybe 9 ounces and break them in half.
A total of 24 oz. (about 5 cups) of nuts ††. I use:
(continued in the next column ↗️)
9 oz. (about 2 cups) mixed nuts without peanuts. ***
5 oz. (about 1 cup) cashews
5 oz. (about 1 cup) walnut halves & pieces †
5 oz. (about 1 cup) almonds †
In 2025, I may dispense with the mixed nuts, and go with 3 oz. of pecans, 9 oz. of cashews, (or any 22 oz. mix of nuts you want) and add 2 oz. of one of the cereals.
** Gussie's original recipe used only Rice Chex®, although I think at some point she may have added Corn Chex® and Wheat Chex®. Crispix® had not been invented when she was alive. Bottom line: you can use whatever combination of "chex" cereals you like, although I would go light on the Wheat Chex®.
†† This might be too many nuts for some people, so you might want to drop down to maybe 20 oz. of nuts and increase your cereals by 4 oz.
*** Peanuts have a huge impact on flavor. I stopped using them because of that.
If the mixed nuts you use have big, whole nuts of any kind, you might want to cut them in half or in thirds.
† If you use raw nuts, see cooking directions below!
5 oz. (about 1 cup) cashews
5 oz. (about 1 cup) walnut halves & pieces †
5 oz. (about 1 cup) almonds †
In 2025, I may dispense with the mixed nuts, and go with 3 oz. of pecans, 9 oz. of cashews, (or any 22 oz. mix of nuts you want) and add 2 oz. of one of the cereals.
** Gussie's original recipe used only Rice Chex®, although I think at some point she may have added Corn Chex® and Wheat Chex®. Crispix® had not been invented when she was alive. Bottom line: you can use whatever combination of "chex" cereals you like, although I would go light on the Wheat Chex®.
†† This might be too many nuts for some people, so you might want to drop down to maybe 20 oz. of nuts and increase your cereals by 4 oz.
*** Peanuts have a huge impact on flavor. I stopped using them because of that.
If the mixed nuts you use have big, whole nuts of any kind, you might want to cut them in half or in thirds.
† If you use raw nuts, see cooking directions below!
Directions
Preheat oven to 300°.
In a large roasting pan, heat nuts for about 15 minutes.
In a large roasting pan, heat nuts for about 15 minutes.
† If you are using any raw, unroasted nuts like almonds or walnuts, put them in for 5 - 10 minutes before adding the other roasted nuts.
While the nuts are heating, melt butter in microwave and add the Worcestershire, garlic and seasoning salt (and cayenne pepper or Tabasco if you use it).
Stir well.
After nuts are finished heating, reduce oven to 225°. Give oven time to cool off.
Add the rest of the dry ingredients to the nuts and mix well.
While the nuts are heating, melt butter in microwave and add the Worcestershire, garlic and seasoning salt (and cayenne pepper or Tabasco if you use it).
Stir well.
After nuts are finished heating, reduce oven to 225°. Give oven time to cool off.
Add the rest of the dry ingredients to the nuts and mix well.
Adding the liquid:
Mix the butter/Worcestershire/seasoning liquid well.
Stir the liquid again, and stir well before each pour.
To add the mixture, drizzle about 1/8 of the liquid over the dry ingredients and mix it into the dry ingredients well!
Stir liquid well between each pour! Can't emphasize this enough!
Repeat until you have used all the butter mixture.
Mix the dry ingredient mixture with the liquid poured into it very thoroughly so that everything is well mixed.
Stir the liquid again, and stir well before each pour.
To add the mixture, drizzle about 1/8 of the liquid over the dry ingredients and mix it into the dry ingredients well!
Stir liquid well between each pour! Can't emphasize this enough!
Repeat until you have used all the butter mixture.
Mix the dry ingredient mixture with the liquid poured into it very thoroughly so that everything is well mixed.
Put it in the oven at 225° for about 45 minutes.
Stir well about every 15 minutes.
At 45 minutes drop oven temp to 200, and continue for another 45 minutes
Again, stir well every 15 minutes.
After the 90 minutes is up, turn off the oven and leave the mixture in the oven overnight to allow it to fully finish as the oven cools.
Don't be in a rush, though I have taken a small handful and finished it for a few seconds in microwave to make sure it is good! 😀😀
Most important:
- heat the nuts before adding everything else.
- stir the ingredients well the first time and then every 15 minutes.
- by the end of the 90 minutes, the finished ingredients should not be very shiny with liquid.
Once cooled, the party mix should be stored in an airtight container.
We keep ours in cookie tins lined with plastic wrap.
I have also stored it in plastic bags inside coffee cans for as long as four months.
We keep ours in cookie tins lined with plastic wrap.
I have also stored it in plastic bags inside coffee cans for as long as four months.
Servings
Makes about 21 cups of mix for 21 1-cup servings.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Per Serving (1 cup) - Calories: 410; Total Fat: 28g (Saturated Fat: 12g); Cholesterol: 45mg; Sodium: 720mg; Total Carbohydrates: 35g (Dietary Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 5g); Protein: 7g
*Nutrition information is provided as a general estimate only. Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients, and is based on available nutrient data. Variations may occur based on ingredient brands and preparation methods.
💬 Uncle Dave says...
This is my version of Chex Party Mix. I based my recipe on our Aunt Gussie's; she made the best Nuts & Bolts of any of us. (The recipe images show ingredients only as the cooking instructions are the same as mine.)
This happens to be the first recipe ever entered into The Ferguson Recipes, almost 19 years ago! The sharp-eyed among you will notice that it is recipe #6. And that there are actually recipes #1, #2, #4, and #5 that were added later. This is because of working through the new code way back then!
🧑🍳 The Cook:
Dave Ferguson
🔑 Keywords:
appetizers,
snacks,
nuts,
pretzels,
cashews,
walnuts,
pecans,
almonds,
Corn Chex®,
Rice Chex®,
Wheat Chex®,
Crispix®,
Cheerios®
🗂️ Categories: 🥨 Apps & Snacks, 🎄 The Holidays, 😎 Uncle Dave's
📚 Cookbooks: From The Ferguson Family, Uncle Dave's Cookbook, The TFR Cookbook
Nuts & Bolts was added on April 13, 2006 and last updated on April 19, 2025.
🗂️ Categories: 🥨 Apps & Snacks, 🎄 The Holidays, 😎 Uncle Dave's
📚 Cookbooks: From The Ferguson Family, Uncle Dave's Cookbook, The TFR Cookbook
Nuts & Bolts was added on April 13, 2006 and last updated on April 19, 2025.
📄 A Quick Note About The Recipes At The Ferguson Recipes: We love sharing recipes, but please be aware that most haven't been professionally tested in our kitchen or independantly verified. Your safety is important to us, so always practice safe food handling and cooking techniques. Cook smart and use your best judgment! Have questions about a specific recipe? Feel free to reach out to us.
🔥 What's New?
04/25/25:
Vanilla Sugar Cookies
04/25/25: Real Butter Cookies
04/25/25: Uncle Dave's Cheerzel Crunchies
04/25/25: Lemon Shortbread Cookies
04/25/25: Lemony Oatmeal Cookies
04/24/25: Uncle Dave's Favorite Salad Dress...
04/24/25: Grilled Chicken With Jerk Seasoni...
04/24/25: Potato, Onion And Roquefort Soup
04/24/25: Pork Loin With Port And Leek Sauc...
04/24/25: Baked Salmon With Mustard-Crumb C...
04/24/25: Brunswick Chicken
04/24/25: Xawaash Spice Blend
04/24/25: Mediterranean Seafood Stew
04/24/25: Folly Island Skillet Shrimp And O...
04/24/25: Father's Famous Fish Stew
04/24/25: Prosciutto And Brie Sandwiches Wi...
04/24/25: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
04/22/25: Jacques Pépin's Potato Lace Panc...
04/25/25: Real Butter Cookies
04/25/25: Uncle Dave's Cheerzel Crunchies
04/25/25: Lemon Shortbread Cookies
04/25/25: Lemony Oatmeal Cookies
04/24/25: Uncle Dave's Favorite Salad Dress...
04/24/25: Grilled Chicken With Jerk Seasoni...
04/24/25: Potato, Onion And Roquefort Soup
04/24/25: Pork Loin With Port And Leek Sauc...
04/24/25: Baked Salmon With Mustard-Crumb C...
04/24/25: Brunswick Chicken
04/24/25: Xawaash Spice Blend
04/24/25: Mediterranean Seafood Stew
04/24/25: Folly Island Skillet Shrimp And O...
04/24/25: Father's Famous Fish Stew
04/24/25: Prosciutto And Brie Sandwiches Wi...
04/24/25: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
04/22/25: Jacques Pépin's Potato Lace Panc...
🛠️ What's Changed?
04/25/25:
Sautéed Chicken Livers
04/25/25: Uncle Dave's Cheerzel Crunchies
04/25/25: Vanilla Sugar Cookies
04/25/25: Real Butter Cookies
04/25/25: Viet-Cajun Crawfish Boil
04/25/25: Curried Game Hens
04/25/25: Lemon Shortbread Cookies
04/25/25: Lemony Oatmeal Cookies
04/25/25: Spinach Dip
04/25/25: Spinach Dip In Sourdough Bread
04/25/25: Orange Spice Shortbread
04/25/25: Breakfast Casserole In The Crock ...
04/25/25: Uncle Dave's Favorite Salad Dress...
04/24/25: Pork Loin With Port And Leek Sauc...
04/24/25: Grilled Chicken With Jerk Seasoni...
04/24/25: Potato, Onion And Roquefort Soup
04/24/25: Baked Salmon With Mustard-Crumb C...
04/24/25: Brunswick Chicken
04/25/25: Uncle Dave's Cheerzel Crunchies
04/25/25: Vanilla Sugar Cookies
04/25/25: Real Butter Cookies
04/25/25: Viet-Cajun Crawfish Boil
04/25/25: Curried Game Hens
04/25/25: Lemon Shortbread Cookies
04/25/25: Lemony Oatmeal Cookies
04/25/25: Spinach Dip
04/25/25: Spinach Dip In Sourdough Bread
04/25/25: Orange Spice Shortbread
04/25/25: Breakfast Casserole In The Crock ...
04/25/25: Uncle Dave's Favorite Salad Dress...
04/24/25: Pork Loin With Port And Leek Sauc...
04/24/25: Grilled Chicken With Jerk Seasoni...
04/24/25: Potato, Onion And Roquefort Soup
04/24/25: Baked Salmon With Mustard-Crumb C...
04/24/25: Brunswick Chicken
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