Eats - Seasoned Pretzels

Hello! Halloween means parties and since there's already a lot of candy and other sweets associated with this holiday, I opt to bring the following snack to Halloween get-togethers. Note cooking variation and other tips after recipe instructions.

Seasoned Pretzels

6 cups pretzels (I prefer to use the smaller sizes, as they're easier to measure and to stir.)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Optional: Tabasco sauce, or other hot sauce, to taste

Preheat oven to 250. Place pretzels in large shallow baking pan. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients and pour over pretzels; stir well. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Pour onto waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container. 

Yield: 6 cups snack mix

Notes: 

• I've used as much as 7 to 7 1/2 cups of pretzels per batch, and they still come out flavorful.
• I use the microwave to cook these - saves a lot of time! My  directions are for a 9x13 glass casserole dish and a 1,000 watt microwave oven. I cook the mix for two minutes on high, stir, then cook for two more minutes and stir again. Then I cook for one minute, stir, and look to see how dry the pretzels look. If they still appear a little "wet", then I cook them for a minute longer. Be careful and make sure to stir the mix well because it can burn. However, by this I mean that some of the pretzels on the bottom may burn - I've never burned an entire batch.
• The original recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, but I don't put it in. Between the ranch dressing mix and the pretzels themselves being salted, I figure that's enough salt already. 

Of course, this snack mix is good anytime, not just for Halloween parties! I have also mailed it as presents to out-of-state nieces and it has traveled just fine, they tell me. 

Enjoy!