Delight Your Pals with a Popcorn Party.
That’s what we did, creating bowls of warm, fluffy, downright heavenly goodness… and what a terrific time we had! Inspired by the book, Party Popcorn, we asked Senior Contributor Chris Prosperi to whip up some of the book’s most intriguing recipes; popcorn flavors such as taco lime, olive oil and parmesan, chocolate covered potato chip, and buffalo ranch. All hands were suddenly on deck for this one; participating and tasting was a riot.
Whether you want to curl up with a favorite show or throw a Popcorn Madness Party the way we did, have no fear; there’s nothing to it and it won’t break the bank. As Popcorn Party author Ashton Epps Swank says, popcorn is a blank edible canvas, just begging to be en-robed, encased, drizzled and sprinkled with great flavor combos. We even made up a few of our own, using our favorite flavor boosters. (Faith likes freshly grated parmesan, truffle oil and sea salt on her popcorn — even the kind made in the microwave. Chris adores his favorite Mexican lime zest spice, Tajin, on his.)
- 8 cups popcorn popped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Pour the popcorn into a large bowl and remove any unpopped kernels. Drizzle the olive oil over the popcorn. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and salt and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately.
- 8 cups popcorn popped
- 1 cup milk chocolate melting candy
- 1 cup potato chips with ridges
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt coarse
- Pour the popcorn into a large bowl and remove any unpopped kernels. Drizzle the olive oil over the popcorn. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and salt and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately.
- Pour the popcorn into a large bowl and remove any unpopped kernels. Place the chocolate melting candy in a medium microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave on medium power for 1 minute. Stir until melted and smooth. If needed, add additional heating time in 30-second increments, stirring after each time, until the candy is melted and smooth.
- Pour the melted candy over the popcorn, but do not stir yet. Crumble the potato chips over the popcorn bowl (it is okay to have big pieces). Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir to coat.
- Spread the popcorn mixture on a large piece of parchment paper or a large silicone baking mat, and sprinkle with the sea salt, adding more to taste if desired.
- Allow to cool until the chocolate coating has hardened, about 20 minutes. Break into pieces before packaging or transferring to a bowl to serve immediately. The popcorn may be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
I loved the popcorn show! I bought the book and made the cinnamon sugar popcorn last night to have with my favorite TV show. It was wonderful and addictive!! Today I tried adding a bit of melted butter to plain popped corn and then sprinkled a bit of the cheese packet from a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese to make cheese popcorn. Heaven for those of us who list Kraft macaroni and cheese as one of our guilty pleasures!!! The possibilities are endless….
Mary Beth,
That’s the smartest idea, to use the Kraft spice mix when you want something fast. If you’re someone who doesn’t want the chemicals that companies use, mix together a few of your own favorite spices with some butter or olive oil. Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers, Faith
When I listened to this show, one of your chefs talked about making popcorn with curry flavoring. I believe she said she mixes butter and curry powder in a ramekin, puts the unpopped kernels in the ramekin, and then puts the ramekin in the paper bag, and then the bag with the ramekin inside in the microwave. Am I remembering correctly? I see recipes that involve just throwing the oiled or buttered kernels into the bag, which seems messy to me. I was thinking the ramekin-in-the-bag method would be perfect but I want to be sure I haven’t made something up that never existed!
Thanks.
You’ve got it right. That’s how Lori Mack does it at home, though she says the ramekin gets very hot inside the bag so have a pot holder ready. Cheers, Faith