Pepped Up Popcorn Recipes

PEPPED UP POPCORN

Steps:

• Pop the popcorn according to package instructions. While hot, carefully open package and dump into a large bowl. Drizzle oil over the popcorn, and toss the popcorn with your hands to coat. Add the cheese and toss again. Season, to taste, with salt. Cool. Transfer to a sealed container and tuck in a lunch box.
• Put the sugar, butter, and chili powder in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on medium (50 percent power) until butter melts, about 1 minute. Stir to dissolve sugar. Drizzle over freshly popped popcorn; and toss to evenly coat. Cool. Transfer to a sealed container and tuck in a lunch box.
• Pop the popcorn according to package instructions. While it's still hot, carefully open and dump into a large bowl. Add the chips and marshmallows.
• Return popcorn to the microwave. Cook on high until the chips and marshmallows get gooey, about 1 minute. Add the peanuts, if desired, and toss with a spoon until all the popcorn is coated. Cool until chocolate hardens, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a sealed container and tuck in a lunch box.

SPANISH CHICKPEA POPCORN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Toss the chickpeas with the olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 30 minutes.
• Melt the butter with the smoked paprika in a small saucepan. Toss the popcorn and roasted chickpeas in a large bowl; drizzle with the paprika butter, season with salt and toss again.

KIDS CAN MAKE: PIZZA POPCORN

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the bottom of the oven, and preheat it to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, and generously coat with cooking spray. Spread the tomato paste out into a thin layer on the parchment (an offset metal spatula works best). Bake until the paste deepens to brick red and is dull in color and not shiny in any spots, about 2 hours. (It will look and feel like fruit leather.) Let it cool. Tear the paste into small pieces, and finely grind them in batches in the spice grinder.
• Add all the ground tomato paste back into the spice grinder, along with the Parmesan, oregano, garlic salt and pepper flakes, and grind to a fine powder. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The spice blend makes enough for about 6 batches of popcorn.
• To make 1 batch of pizza popcorn: Heat 1/2 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup kernels; when one pops, cover the pot, and cook, shaking the pot constantly, until the popping subsides to 1 pop every 20 seconds. Add some melted butter and 2 heaping tablespoons of pizza spice, toss to coat.

CHILI-GARLIC POPCORN

Steps:

• Mix the smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic salt and onion powder together in a small bowl.
• Toss the popcorn and butter in a large bowl until well coated. Sprinkle the spice blend and Parmesan over the popcorn and toss well.