Today is National Popcorn Day, and what better way to celebrate than with some unusual and delicious flavors! While seasoning popcorn with butter and salt is always a tasty classic, there are so many other ways to dress up your kernels and the chefs over at Food Network have come up with some genius combinations.
Whether you're microwaving a bag or freshly popping some yourself, you can turn a plain snack into something extra-special with these creative seasoning ideas. Here are what we think are the Food Network's best popcorn flavor combinations to celebrate National Popcorn day the right way!
Food Network Magazine suggests using 12 to 16 cups of freshly popped popcorn for each of these recipes.
1. Peanut Butter
Savory meets ooey-gooey sweet. Heat one cup of honey and 3/4 cup of sugar over medium heat and stir for about five minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then add in one hefty cup of your favorite peanut butter and one teaspoon each of vanilla extract and kosher salt until smooth. Pour over hot popcorn and add in two cups of peanuts. Spread onto baking sheets until it cools completely for the messiest and yummiest combination of salty and sweet ever.
Turn this awesome recipe into Peanut Butter Banana Popcorn by adding in one cup of dried banana chips and half a cup of chocolate chips.
2. Frito Pie
This recipe requires some baking, but the melted cheese makes it oh-so-worth it in the end. Toss the hot popcorn with 6 tablespoons of melted butter, four cups of Fritos and two tablespoons of chili powder. Spread this popcorn mixture on baking sheets and top with two hefty cups of shredded cheddar cheese and two chopped scallions. Baked at 350º F for about three minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and gooey.
3. Everything Bagel
Popcorn meets breakfast. Toss hot popcorn with four cups of broken bagel chips and add in six tablespoons of melted butter. Once the popcorn is completely coated with the butter, sprinkle it with all the best everything bagel toppings like two tablespoons of white sesame seeds, two tablespoons of black sesame seeds, one tablespoon of caraway seeds, one table spoon of granulated onion, one tablespoon of granulated garlic and one and a half teaspoons of kosher salt.
4. Sushi
You've probably never been eating popcorn and wished it tasted like sushi, but you'd be surprised how delicious this recipe actually is. Whisk one and a half tablespoons each of vegetable oil and soy sauce with two teaspoons each toasted sesame oil and rice vinegar and drizzle over hot popcorn. Toss with two cups of cut up roasted seaweed snacks and one cup of wasabi peas for an extra kick.
5. French Onion Dip
Melt six tablespoons of butter with a one-ounce packed of onion soup mix and toss with hot popcorn. The add a six-ounce package of French-fried onions. Add in some crumbled potato chips if you're feeling crazy for the perfect French onion dip creation.
6. Pepperoni Pizza
The ultimate junk food has been turned into a tasty snack and the results are to die for. Cook one cup of chopped pepperoni in one tablespoon of vegetable oil until crisp and drain on paper towels and reserve the drippings. Pop 3/4 of a cup of popcorn kernels in the drippings and toss with the pepperoni, one cup of shredded mozzarella, half a cup of grated Parmesan cheese, two tablespoons of olive oil and one teaspoon each of granulated garlic and dried oregano. Season with salt as desired.
7. Bacon-Jalapeno
Because everything's better with bacon, this popcorn has an extra spicy kick. Even though the process is a little time consuming for popcorn, it's worth it in the end. Dip four thinly-sliced jalapenos in half a cup of cornstarch whisked with 1/3 cup seltzer. Heat one inch of vegetable oil in a saucepan to 350º F and fry the jalapenos for about two minutes, or until they're golden brown and crispy. Cook six slices of chopped bacon until crisp and reserving the drippings. Drizzle two tablespoons of reserved bacon drippings and two tablespoons of melted butter over hot popcorn and toss with the bacon, fried jalapenos and half a cup of chopped chives.
8. Crunchy Ramen
Ramen noodles are a known for being a cheap and easy meal, but there are so many unique ways to spice them up and this popcorn recipe is no exception. Soak two three-ounce packages of Ramen noodles in your flavor of choice (reserve the flavor packet) in warm water for four minutes and then pull apart the noodles and pat dry. Head 1/4 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet and fry the noodles until crisp. Drain and then break into pieces and toss with hot popcorn before adding the flavor packets for taste.
9. Margarita
Who would have thought popcorn and tequila could create such a delicious flavor profile? Melt six tablespoons of butter with two tablespoons each of lime juice and tequila, two teaspoons each of sugar and kosher salt, and one and a half teaspoons of grated lime zest in a skillet over medium heat. Drizzle this zesty mixture over hot popcorn and toss with four cups of crushed lime-flavored tortilla chips for extra crunch.
10. Rocky Road
This is another amazingly sweet popcorn recipe that you don't want to miss out on. Whisk five tablespoons of melted butter with two teaspoons each of vanilla extract and kosher salt and drizzle over hot popcorn. Toss with two cups each of mini marshmallows, chocolate chips and toasted pecans. Spread this mixture onto baking sheets and bake at 350º F for about two minutes or until the marshmallows and chocolate are just slightly melted.
To turn this rocky road recipe into a S'mores Recipe, just replace the pecans with crushed up graham crackers.
11. Crab Boil
Melt four tablespoons of butter with two tablespoons of Old Bay seasoning in a small skillet, just as you would any delicious and juicy crab, and drizzle over hot popcorn. Toss with four cups of oyster crackers for the perfect bowl of popcorn that will bring you right back to summer with all the delicious flavors of a crab boil.
