Great conversation starter: If you had to be trapped inside one giant food, and the only way to escape would be to eat your way out of it, which food would you choose? For me, the answer is popcorn. I seem to have inherited a love for it. This deluxe version of homemade popcorn is sprinkled with fresh rosemary and parmesan for a flavorful, savory snack.
This recipe came about not only because I eat popcorn 4-5 nights per week, but also as a way to celebrate my mama’s birthday this past week. My addiction to popcorn seems to stem from my maternal side, as I discovered last summer. I always knew my mom loved popcorn because I grew up sharing giant bowls of it with her. And then last summer I visited my aunt (her sister) along with my other aunt and mom. It became quite obvious that it’s a family trait.
We had to buy several bags of popcorn to share amongst ourselves. We can each easily eat a bag of popcorn solo. Every night. I would really like a study to be conducted about the possibility of a popcorn-loving gene. I even remember the amazing popcorn seasoning my grandma used to have. Who knows how many generations this spans.
I thought it was quite normal to have popcorn almost nightly. You know, as you settle onto the couch to watch your favorite show or read a book before bed. No? You don’t buy popcorn several pounds at a time? Hmm. Well lucky for you this recipe is for special occasion popcorn anyways. That’s right, I believe in special occasion popcorn. And it’s really easy to make at home — no need for movie theater butter, ultimate butter, extra butter, or popbutter (what??).
Typically, I top my homemade popcorn with a little butter and salt and call it good. This, however, is a recipe for the times that you want to jazz it up, celebrate extra, for movie nights, or maybe for an Oscar viewing party. I love settling in with a big fuzzy blanket and a (giant) bowl of popcorn to watch a movie or show. Currently, this means re-watching Parks & Rec with my husband, which is already one of our best ideas of 2017.
It’s a simple recipe, that makes a simple snack into a grown-up one. And the good news is that making popcorn from scratch is incredibly easy and cost-effective (especially if you eat as much as I do). You buy a bag of popcorn kernels from the store, place about 1/4 cup in a brown paper lunch bag, drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil, and place in the microwave. Hit the popcorn button as usual. It has been suggested that different types of oils (such as coconut oil or grapeseed oil) cause the popcorn to taste differently, but I have yet to test this theory.
Only so much fits in a paper bag though, so you can make the popcorn any way you want, especially if there are more than two mouths to feed. I recommend just plain popcorn as the base — you’ll be adding the good stuff after the popcorn is popped.
To create the flavorings I used a handy, awesome little book my mom bought me called The Busy Cook’s Guide to Spices. The book describes rosemary as piny with a slight ginger taste. I know for a fact it tastes great with Parmesan, butter, and salt. Turns out, according to the book, the folklore behind rosemary is this:
When fleeing Herod, May and infant Jesus hid behind some rosemary bushes. The flowers on them turned from white to blue because of Mary’s blue cloak. The flowers were then called the roses of Mary.
That’s also for you mom. Enjoy your popcorn!
- ½ cup unpopped popcorn, or about 12 cups unseasoned popped popcorn
- Drizzle of olive oil
- 3 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- 1 tbsp finely minced rosemary
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- Regular salt, to taste
- Place the popcorn kernels in a brown paper lunch bag and drizzle very lightly with olive oil. Fold the edges of the bag over twice, and place in the microwave. Microwave for approximately 3-4 minutes until the popping slows. Transfer the popcorn into a large bowl.
- Place the butter and garlic salt in a small bowl and microwave until the butter is melted. Drizzle over the popcorn and gently toss to coat. Sprinkle with rosemary and Parmesan. Add salt to taste. Serve immediately!
- The serving size is hard to say. I ate it all. I don't think that's normal though.
