‘Tis the season for movies! Are you ready for summer and all its much-anticipated blockbusters? Do you have a long Netflix (or Hulu or iTunes) queue or a hold request list at your local library for all the movies you want to see over the next couple of months? I know I do. I rarely have time to go to the cinema anymore, so I have a lot of catching up to do. (Also, does anyone call them ‘cinemas’ anymore? Or is my age showing?)
Everyone knows popcorn and movies go together like eggs and bacon, and as much as I love popcorn at the multiplex (ha! You thought I was going to say ‘cinema’ again, didn’t you?), I much prefer the comfort of my own home where I can recline on the couch, drape an old throw over my legs, and munch on homemade flavored popcorn. I can heckle the screen if I want to and attempt to solve the mysteries out loud (The neighbor did it!), and no one will shush me. My husband may just shoot me an exasperated look, but nope, no shushing.
Kettle corn is my favorite popcorn flavor to make at home if I’m going for something other than the simple butter-and-salt kind. I have a serious weakness for that salty-and-sweet flavor. But I also love showering popcorn with Parmesan cheese, or using herbed butter with a touch of honey. Popcorn lends itself to so much customization and the possibilities are endless! So, while it’s early in summer, let’s start dreaming up new ways to do popcorn. Tell us:
What’s your favorite way to dress up a bowl of popcorn?
Do you like it sweet with caramel? Spicy? Cheesy? With added nuts and chocolate? As popcorn balls? Do you like it super fancy with truffle oil? Or maybe you use popcorn in new and creative ways, like as croutons for salad, or in granola? Perhaps you don’t necessarily have a favorite flavor but have a special way of popping the popcorn. If it’s popcorn-related, we want to hear it. Come share below!
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Lucia on 6.29.2015
Carmel corn (especially that sold on Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey, nothing beats it)! Yum… Also Kettle corn and buttery movie popcorn run close seconds.
kay43026 on 6.28.2015
I love popcorn so much…one year my hubs & the kiddos gave me a commercial popcorn machine for Christmas!! I buy the ‘packets’ from the popcorn machine store and it produces theater type popcorn. Woohoo!!
To doctor it up I like just plain melted butter. BUT…I really like to use the popped corn and make a baked caramel corn. I sometimes drizzle it with chocolate and let it harden. Oh.My.
Darlene on 6.26.2015
I love buttered popcorn, but my husband adores any of Anna Ginsberg’s Caramel Corn popcorn recipes found at cookiemadness.net. Anna is a brilliant baker, and I’ve made a combination of her Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn and Pecan Pretzel Caramel Corn that is unbelievably delicious (and a lot less expensive than Moose Munch!). I was skeptical that I would like the taste of popcorn that has been baked for an hour, but it results in a unique texture everyone loves. Great to make a big bowl for a party. I’ve never tried her Red Hot Cinnamon Popcorn, but that might be fun for 4th of July.
Paula Chaffin on 6.26.2015
I love buttered movie theatre popcorn with junior mints mixed in. They melt a little
and you get that sweet and salty taste that if so yummy!!
Donna H on 6.26.2015
I love popcorn my favorite snack! I love every kind of seasoned popcorn. No microwave popcorn for me. I pop it in cast iron skillet, regular heavy skillet, the popcorn pop the one your crank, air popcorn and I have a popcorn machine like at the movies. Did I tell you I love popcorn! Lightly buttered with sea salt, lightly buttered with Jalapeno seasoning, lightly buttered with cheddar cheese, lightly buttered with white cheddar, etc., and kettle corn. I see someone commented Peanut Butter Popcorn, I’m going to have to try it.
GinaJ on 6.26.2015
Cinnamon roll popcorn!
Pop up your corn. (I do it with my cast-iron skillet with a little peanut oil.)
Melt 2 -4 T butter. Stir in 4 T brown sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon (more or less of everything to taste.
Pour over hot popcorn, pop a lid on the bowl and SHAKE. Add more cinnamon if desired. It’s messy, so I usually eat it with a spoon!
SO yummy!
grandmajohnnie on 6.25.2015
I LOVE popcorn. I do not LOVE microwave popcorn at ALL. I still pull out the pan, oil and seeds (prefer white popcorn). When ready to go I throw it out there to the hubby and grandkids – what kind should I make?? It’s pretty even between the buttered popcorn and kettle korn. But those two are the favorites. I remember my grandson when he was about 3, ready to make popcorn with me, and was so puzzled – he only knew the microwave popcorn and had such wonder on his face at it popping on the stove. With my glass lid, he was on a chair by me watching it pop and laughing.
Sandra Collins on 6.25.2015
Forgot to add – we grew up eating Milk Duds with our popcorn. Pour a box of them into your popcorn, and if it’s still warm the Duds will get a little melty. Of course, they get all stuck in your teeth, but that’s half the fun!
Sandra Collins on 6.25.2015
I really like buttery, salty goodness. But I also like the whole sweet and salty thing, so good kettle corn is awesome, or a mix of caramel and cheese hits that spot too.
Kaleena on 6.25.2015
My favorite way to eat my popcorn is with Ranch seasoning and hot sauce
Erin R. on 6.25.2015
Ooh, some really good ideas! For me it’s hot air popper, a quick spray of oil (just the cooking spray in a can) to get the stuff to stick, then nutritional yeast and onion powder. But I have also tried the chip dip mix and the sandwich sprinkle from Penzeys, both of which are wonderful. I never thought of the ranch dressing mix, I’ll have to try that next.
Debby on 6.25.2015
A little trick to get rid of those darn kernels is to use the green basket that your strawberries come in as a sifter, get two bowls and scoop and sift…the kernels fall out and the popped popcorn stays in! We also don’t use microwave popcorn anymore, our air popper works great!
Michelle F. on 6.25.2015
We no longer eat microwave popcorn. We prepare our popcorn fresh in a popper with just a little oil. My husband likes to add a handful of trail mix and some jalapeno slices. Me, I like mine salted with a bit of chocolate. The taste is incredible!
janmaus on 6.25.2015
It’s really hard to improve on the basic with lots of butter, but sharp white cheddar is yummy, too, particularly with a tiny sprinkle of powdered chipotle.
Mommar6 on 6.25.2015
I really like a Parmesan and garlic popcorn if I want something savory. For a sweet popcorn everyone should try my favorite. It’s so good. The link to Peanut Butter Popcorn is: http://cookingwithcarlee.blogspot.com/2015/03/peanut-butter-popcorn.html
Dawn on 6.25.2015
i use coconut oil and then sprinkle it w/ nutritional yeast and red pepper flakes. Trading our the yeast for grated parm cheese is fantastic too!
Barb on 6.25.2015
I love to make popcorn in my cast iron Dutch oven. Coconut oil or avocado oil.. Melted butter with a little maple syrup in it, not much or will be soggy. Just enough for that sweet butter taste. Season with sea salt. Yummy!
Tracy on 6.24.2015
I like sprinkling Brewer’s Yeast on my freshly popped corn, along with a little olive oil and salt.
Doreen P. on 6.24.2015
Movie theater popcorn with butter, plenty of butter. It’s a treat.
Madelynne H. on 6.24.2015
I love popcorn especially Carmel corn or kettle corn
Diana on 6.24.2015
Salty! Any topping that makes it salty is great!
Beth B. on 6.24.2015
I’m not supposed to eat popcorn because of a GI issue that I have, but when I go to the movies with my husband, he will get a small bag (no butter) and I like to pour M&M’s in with the popcorn. He lets me have 2 handfuls and its so wonderful (hot, salty, sweet, and crunchy!).. Wish I had some now!
KrissyC EsMommy on 6.24.2015
While I am not a huge fan of popcorn, my daughter loves it. I use an air popper and she picks the toppings. Her favorites are either melted peanut butter (about 2tbs with 1/2 tbs butter) or with some butter and sprinkled with cinnamon/sugar.
Marina on 6.24.2015
Drizzled with a tiny amount of butter, sprinkled lightly with popcorn salt, generously seasoned with freshly ground lemon pepper, showered with Parmesan!
kim on 6.24.2015
While I really like popcorn, the leftover kernels – in my teeth, not in the bowl – really annoy me, so I don’t indulge often. But sometimes on movie night at home I can’t resist.
We make popcorn on the stovetop, the old fashioned way, and I like to add a little powdered ranch dressing mix or some chip dip seasoning mix that I got from Penzeys. Recently I found packets of chex mix seasoning at my local grocery, and that was terrific too.
There’s something about watching a movie while mindlessly grabbing handfuls of well seasoned popcorn that we really enjoy.
TANJA on 6.24.2015
i love popcorn. i don’t care much for the spicey kind. i love to eat popcorn with chocolate. there is nothing better then going to a movie with popcorn in one hand and candy in the other. it is always gone by time the movie starts.
AC on 6.24.2015
One of my favorite popcorn flavors is called “hurricane popcorn”. Here’s how you make it:
Hurricane Popcorn
– Put plain popcorn in a large plastic bag or in a large bowl with a cover.
– Pour in cooled, melted unsalted butter and sprinkle in nori komi furikake (a Japanese rice seasoning made with seaweed flakes) and arare (small Japanese rice crackers).
– Close up the bag or cover the bowl tightly and give it a good shake until the popcorn is thoroughly coated.
– Enjoy!
This popcorn is very popular in Hawaii, where the recipe originated. This may see like a strange combination, but it tastes good! (However, some people think that it’s an acquired taste……and smell.)
I also love to make popcorn mixed with melted white chocolate, M&Ms, peanuts and mini pretzels. One of these days, I want to try my hand at making peanut butter popcorn and cinnamon bun popcorn.
DebbieK on 6.24.2015
I prefer white popcorn over yellow popcorn. I like it freshly popped and warm with popcorn salt. A big bowl of freshly popped popcorn and a movie = GREAT EVENING!
Patricia @ ButterYum on 6.24.2015
M personal favorite is caramel corn, but I don’t care to make it very often so I usually pop kernels on the stove top in a little coconut oil, then sprinkled lightly with popcorn salt while the popped kernels are still warm. The coconut oil lends the most wonderful flavor – -t’s simply amazing.
C. L. ( Cheryl ) "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser on 6.24.2015
We love popping corn the old fashion way in a heavy bottom pot and lid. I just had a new popcorn recipe posted here on TK using truffle salt (sparingly!) it is very good. We like sweet/savory kettle corn as well. I believe I have a recipe for that too in my recipe box using maple-honey kettle corn-Yum. I am going to go make some now! EVERYONE HAVE A GREAT DAY!
Jan C. on 6.24.2015
Have a great recipe for caramel popcorn that we love. Makes two huge bowls, and somehow they get eaten…….quickly!
lena on 6.24.2015
My favorite way is just plain popcorn dipped in a nacho cheese sauce.
So yummy.