Recently on Facebook I asked this very important question:
You see, I have this new cookbook called “Classic Snacks Made From Scratch” and I was in a quandary over which salty snack I wanted to make first. Either page 62 – Homemade Goldfish Crackers or page 73 – Cheddar Cheese Popcorn. By a huge margin, y’all choose Cheddar Cheese Popcorn! I’m not sorry you did, either! It was a delicious weekend! Thank you!
Not only did I have Cheddar Cheese Powder in my pantry, I also had White Cheddar Cheese Powder, so you know there wasn’t just ONE batch of popcorn! There were several! Sunday consisted of taking handfuls of Cheddar and White Cheddar Cheese Popcorn every time we walked through the kitchen.
To get started on our cheesy snacks, I got out my old Retro Style Air-Popper, some yellow popcorn kernels and went straight to work!
I forgot how much I like popcorn! I really should have it more often. Doing it in the air-popper is much better for you too. It’s a healthy alternative to the packaged, microwave stuff AND you get to add your own spices to jazz up the flavor! The original recipe calls for making popcorn on the stove. Don’t worry, it’s much easier than it sounds. If you’ve never done it before don’t be afraid to try. It’s fun! I just happened to have the air-popper from when I was a teacher. It was great for making quick snacks in the classroom on Friday afternoons. Yeah, I was that teacher. We made the other rooms jealous because they could smell the popcorn down the hallway! Ha! Now, it’s fun to have at home with the grandkids (When they get old enough, anyway!). I can’t wait to see Mini Sous face the first time we use it together.
Cheddar Cheese Popcorn
Ingredients
- Cheese Topping
- 2 Tablespoons Cheddar Cheese Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Buttermilk Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch or rice flour
- Popcorn*
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon yellow or white popcorn kernels
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Place the Cheddar powder, buttermilk powder, salt and cornstarch in a spice grinder or mini food processor and whir for about 10-15 seconds to blend evenly. Set aside.
- Pour the vegetable oil into a 3 or 4 quart heavy-bottomed stockpot and add 2 or 3 of the popcorn kernels. Cover the pot and heat over medium heat until you hear 1 or 2 of the kernels pop. Add the remaining kernels in an even layer and cover again. Cook, shaking gently and frequently to evenly distribute the hot oil among the kernels as they pop. Remove from heat once the popping sounds slow to a crawl. Transfer the cooked popcorn to a large bowl.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat; don't let it bubble or spurt. Pour the butter over the popcorn and toss to evenly combine. Add the cheese topping to the buttered popcorn and toss or shake to combine.
- Store the popcorn at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.
- * If you don't want to make your own popcorn on the stove, substitute 10 cups of air-popped popcorn for the kernels and oil!
Happy Snacking! Oh, and don’t worry! I’ll be trying the Homemade Goldfish Crackers very soon! Then I’ll move on to Cheez-It’s, Oreos, Nutter Butters, Twinkies, Klondike Bars, Strawberry Pop Tars, Tater Tots, Waffle Fries…. This is a very dangerous (but delicious) cookbook!
Would you like a copy of the Classic Snacks Cookbook or your own super cute Retro Air Popper? You can get either one here by using my Amazon affiliate links:
Classic Snacks Made From Scratch
Have fun! Don’t forget to share pictures of your cheesy or sweet snacks with the hashtag #MyImperfectSnacks I’d love to see them!
