The Reason People Are Tossing Combos Pretzel Snacks Into Their Smokers

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People love snacks. While snacks' dietary importance is subjective to the individual, they're commonplace for most people and can play a vital culinary role. Of course, traditional snack foods like crackers, nuts, and chocolates have a place on the typical charcuterie board, and others, such as chips and pretzels, are common at parties or get-togethers. While these types of snack foods are perfectly fine on their own, there are ways to elevate even a simple bag of Combos Stuffed Snacks. Sure, the Mars Inc. snack is tasty on its own, but a recent viral trend on TikTok shows culinary influencers enhancing Combos Blue Cheese Stuffed Crackers with smoking and extra seasoning for even better flavor.

At-home chefs wanting to try their hand at this will want to coat the Blue Cheese Combos with toppings like olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, and a savory barbecue rub. After smoking for about an hour or two, and cooling for a few minutes thereafter, the Combos will be ready to enjoy. Of course, it goes without saying that anyone is free to use whichever seasoning they prefer. As this trend centers on the Blue Cheese Combos, it may be best to choose a buffalo rub or seasoning (such as Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Seasoning), as those two flavors already pair perfectly together, and would team nicely with the Worcestershire sauce to bring some excellent umami tones.

Combos Stuffed Snacks aren't the only store-bought snack foods that would benefit from a trip in the smoker and a sprinkle of seasoning. Anyone looking to, say, upgrade their Super Bowl party snacks can use smoked Combos as a springboard and do the same with Chex Mix. If you prefer a simple route, grab a few bags of your favorite flavor and add a dash of ranch seasoning for the ultimate upgrade. Alternatively, going with a homemade recipe has the benefit of being customizable. This means that — along with rice and corn Chex cereal, pretzels, and snack crackers — you could take Andrew Zimmern's lead and throw in candied bacon before popping them into the smoker.

Despite Combos being a staple in grocery stores and gas stations since the 1980s (and precursor variations turning up as early as the late '70s), as well as the ever-present supply of viral chefs on platforms like TikTok, it's interesting that Blue Cheese is the only flavor being widely tackled for this trend — especially since Combos' other flavors are ripe for experimentation. Going off just the basic principles of complementary food pairing, the sweet and savory profile of Combos' Cheddar Cheese Crackers would be counterbalanced well by a sweet heat seasoning (like Lane's Sweet Heat Rub Seasoning). When it comes to the Pizzeria Pretzel Combos flavor, leaning into herbs like oregano and thyme would bring a refreshing, earthy spin to the salty and savory handy snacks. Not to mention, thyme, oregano, and garlic are classic pizza seasonings and can already be found in the best homemade pizza sauce.