These mixed nuts are one of my favorite things to make when we are having guests over…they’ve always gotten rave reviews. A lot of recipes call for roasting nuts in the oven, but I like doing these in a large skillet on the stovetop, it gives me a little more control. Always make sure you start with raw, unsalted nuts. They are quick and easy to make even though you have to keep an eye on them, but they can be made days in advance before your guests come over.I typically use almonds, cashews, and pecans because I can buy them in bulk and they lend themselves to many other recipes and snacking for later. Feel free to do walnuts, macadamias, or any other nut you prefer.These nuts usually turn out different every time, but they are always awesome! (as long as you don’t burn them or over-season them). I usually experiment with different hot sauces each time I make them. But for starters, Tabasco or sriracha (or both, in my case) work really well. But if you don’t like hot sauce, you can go for Worcestershire, or what about sweet chili sauce? Really, there are lots of possibilities!

Recipe
Party Nuts!
by Baked Northwest
makes about 3 cups, enough for a small crowd

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1 cup raw pecans
• 3 tbsp. brown sugar
• 3 tbsp. butter
• sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. Tabasco
• 2-3 sprigs rosemary and/or parsley (optional)
• Optional moves – a dash of Sriracha or Worcestershire, sweet chili sauce, dijon, whatever you think sounds good!

Directions

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir to get it dissolved a little. Add a little salt to the mixture, then add all of the nuts at once. Roast for several minutes, turning up the heat if necessary. Toss the nuts around, making sure they aren’t burning! When they become nice and browned, remove from heat and add a few dashes of Tabasco or sriracha, any hot sauce works great! Be careful when you do this – the hot sauces may flare up and slap you in the face! I tend to add the hot sauce with the butter and brown sugar, just to get it all incorporated. Just be careful when you put hot sauce in a hot skillet! I like to add some chopped rosemary or parsley, when the nuts are done and off the heat, but it’s totally optional.

To cool, spread nuts out on a plate or sheet pan to in the thinnest layer possible. We don’t want the nuts sticking together! Cool via a quick blast in the freezer, about 20 minutes. Break any big nut chunks apart before serving. These can be made days (even weeks) in advance and stored in an airtight container in the freezer. I usually make them a few days before having people over and store them in the pantry. However, sometimes they disappear before the party even starts…