Pop to It!: Spicy-sweet curry popcorn

by Sarah Steimer

I’ve never had a sweet-and-salty curry combination, but this was pretty rad. Once again, I gobbled through this bowl of popcorn in no time and mentally added this to my list of movie-watching snacks. Spicy-sweet curry popcorn and maybe a bottle of dark winter ale? Absolutely.

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Pop to It!: Maple-cayenne popcorn

by Sarah Steimer

This popcorn was gone in a flash. If you’d like to slow yourself down, try offering this up with a bowl of nuts and dried cranberries on the side. Or just try not to be a snack monster like I am.

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Pop to It!: Buffalo-Parmesan popcorn

by Caitlin Saniga

Buffalo sauce is my new favorite. (How have I waited so long to become hooked?) The sauce recipe I include here tastes very authentic. I recommend using Frank’s Red Hot, if you can find it, and not another type of hot sauce, as the flavor is distinct. If you’d like to add an extra kick to the sauce, add 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

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Pop to It!: Buttered popcorn with panko, sesame, poppy seeds, and caraway

by Caitlin Saniga

A toasted, buttered “everything” bagel was my inspiration for this popcorn. Can you tell?

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Salted caramel-almond popcorn

by Caitlin Saniga

These recipes require the line about storing in a sealed container for up to a week, but who, really, has that much restraint?

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National Popcorn Day: Asiago and thyme popcorn & brown butter, rosemary and lemon popcorn

We LOVE popcorn. The snack was a staple in our apartment when we lived together, and we would often eat it while we watched movies with our favorite toppings (hot sauce for Sarah and Italian dressing for Caitlin). Caitlin and her sister Holly came up with a great way to test popcorn pairings: They pour various condiments and other refrigerator goodies into mini muffin tins so they can sample multiple combinations. Sarah’s dad taught her how to make popcorn over the stove before she moved into her first college apartment (see the video below for the how-to). She has it down to a near science now and often pops a big bowl right as company arrives.

We’re offering two new recipes to try this Popcorn Day, but also be sure to check out our previous popcorn recipes:

• Buttery cinnamon popcorn
• Taco popcorn
• Kettle corn
• Chili-garlic snack mix

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Asiago and thyme popcorn

Do you like cheese popcorn but hate the powdered stuff? This is a great, classy alternative

by Sarah Steimer

Make about 6-8 cups popcorn. While the popcorn is still warm, spray or drizzle with olive or vegetable oil to lightly coat. Finely grate about 1/2 cup Asiago cheese. Add the cheese and about 2-3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves to the popcorn. Add a pinch of salt. Gently toss and serve.

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Brown butter, rosemary and lemon popcorn

I loved the way the butter crackled and bubbled in the pan when I tossed in the rosemary. That step made for super-crispy flecks of rosemary. Don’t be tempted to add the lemon zest to the butter. It’s much more delicate and could burn.

by Caitlin Saniga

Pop about 6 cups of popcorn. Place 3 tablespoons butter in a small pan and cook over medium heat until it turn light brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the stove and add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary. Pour the butter over the popcorn. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon) over top and finish with a few grinds of salt and pepper. Toss to coat and serve.

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Buttery cinnamon popcorn

by Caitlin Saniga

My favorite kind of toast is crispy, golden-brown Italian bread with a good bit of butter and cinnamon sugar on top. Every bite tastes like the bread is melting in your mouth because the butter-sugar combo is simply magical. This recipe has the same effect.

• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

And can you believe I found the popcorn recipe in a church cookbook? Of all things, it was a compilation of parishioners' favorite home recipes. What's the strangest place you've found a favorite recipe?

In a medium pot over medium-high heat, toss the kernels in oil. Cover the pot with a lid. As the kernels begin to pop, gently shake the covered pot to ensure that the popcorn doesn’t burn. Once the kernels stop popping, remove the pot from the stove.

In a small bowl, stir sugar and cinnamon to combine.

Slowly trickle melted butter over the popcorn, stopping frequently to shake the popcorn. Season popcorn to taste with cinnamon-sugar mixture, stopping frequently to shake the popcorn.

Recipe: Sacred Heart Church cookbook

Photo: Caitlin Saniga

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Chili-garlic snack mix

by Caitlin Saniga

The original recipe called for a whole bag of popcorn, but my mixing bowl wasn’t big enough to hold 8 cups of cereal and all that popcorn. So I started eating the popcorn until what remained would fit in the bowl. 🙂

• 4 cups Corn Chex (or off-brand equivalent)
• 4 cups Rice Chex (or off-brand equivalent)
• ½ 3-ounce bag butter microwave popcorn, popped
• ¼ cup dry-roasted peanuts
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons chili powder

This snack will give you hard-core garlic breath, but it’s worth suffering through.

Heat oven to 300 degrees. In a very large bowl, mix cereal, popcorn and peanuts. Drizzle with oil; toss until evenly coated.

In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients; sprinkle over cereal mixture. Toss until evenly coated. Spread cereal mixture in ungreased large roasting pan.

Bake uncovered 12 minutes, stirring once. Cool 10 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 12 1-cup servings

Recipe: Chex

Photos: Caitlin Saniga

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Taco popcorn

by Caitlin Saniga

My sister and I have done a lot of experimenting with popcorn flavors. Some ideas need work (cocoa, dill, garlic salt), but this one is perfect every time: taco popcorn.

Taco seasoning: (note: This recipe makes way more seasoning than you’ll need for one batch of popcorn. Save the extra seasoning in a shaker or sealed container.)

I store the seasoning in a shaker and use it for other batches of popcorn and, duh, tacos.

• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon salt (at least)
• 1 tablespoon pepper (at least)

Popcorn:

• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

To prepare the taco seasoning, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Transfer the mix to a shaker or small, resealable container or bag.

To prepare the popcorn, in a medium pot over medium-high heat, toss the kernels in oil. Cover the pot with a lid. As the kernels begin to pop, gently shake the covered pot to ensure that the popcorn doesn’t burn. Once the kernels stop popping, remove the pot from the stove.

Slowly trickle melted butter over the popcorn, stopping frequently to shake the popcorn. Season popcorn to taste with taco seasoning, stopping frequently to shake the popcorn.

Recipe: Caitlin Saniga

Photos: Caitlin Saniga

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