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Easy Popcorn Recipes

3 Easy Ways to Dress Up Popcorn

Generously-buttered popcorn is a near-perfect food, but that doesn't mean that the fun begins and ends there. The Kitchy Kitchen shows us three easy-to-make variations on this movie night staple.

It wasn't until I visited a dive bar in Berkeley called The Graduate with my friend Christie and her law school friends that I discovered freshly popped popcorn with sriracha and table salt. It was so simple, it led me to imagine some popcorn recipes of my own. I don't like going too crazy with my popcorn, so I made only minor tweaks to classic combinations (vanilla and sugar; cheddar and spice; parm and herbs) for a fresh twist.

Popcorn, 3 Ways

From The Kitchy Kitchen

Easy Popcorn Recipes

Ingredients

  1. For the vanilla bean kettle corn:
    1/4 cup vegetable oil
    1/2 cup popcorn kernels
    1 vanilla bean
    1/3 cup sugar
    1 teaspoon coarse salt
  1. For the spicy cheddar popcorn:
    1/4 cup vegetable oil
    1/2 cup popcorn kernels
    1/4 cup unsalted butter
    1 garlic clove, minced
    1 pinch cayenne (or more if you like it spicier)
    1/3 cup cheddar, finely grated
    Coarse salt, to taste
  1. For the herbed parm popcorn:
    1/4 cup vegetable oil
    1/2 cup popcorn kernels
    1/4 cup unsalted butter
    1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
    1 teaspoon dried oregano
    1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
    1/3 cup parmesan, finely grated

Directions

Vanilla Bean Kettle Corn

  1. In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn, cover, and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Meanwhile, split and scrape the vanilla bean with a knife, and combine the vanilla seeds with the sugar (it’s easiest to this in a food processor, so you don’t get any clumps).
  3. Take the lid off and sprinkle the vanilla sugar and scraped bean over the kernels. Cover and shake the pan until the popping slows down, about 3 minutes.
  4. Remove from the heat and toss with the salt.

Spicy Cheddar Popcorn

  1. In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn, cover, and cook until the popping slows down, about 3 minutes.
  2. Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat, and add the garlic and cayenne pepper. Pour over the popcorn, add cheese, and thoroughly mix by shaking in the still warm pot.
  3. Pour into a bowl and salt to taste.

Herbed Parm Popcorn

  1. In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn, cover, and cook until the popping slows down, about 3 minutes.
  2. In a small pot over medium heat, melt the butter with the herbs, and pour over popcorn. Add parm to the popcorn, and thoroughly mix by shaking in the still warm pot.
  3. Pour into a bowl and salt to taste.
Image Source: The Kitchy Kitchen
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