I know I’m not alone with this confession: a bowl of popcorn = my dinner on many a night, especially when no one else is around to shame me. It’s way more filling than you’d think, especially when tossed with copious amounts of butter and cheese. This version is a dead ringer for the so-called “healthy” cheese popcorn you find in the snack aisle, but could most certainly pass for dinner as well. I won’t judge. Rather than making fresh popcorn for the recipe, you can easily substitute 10 cups plain popped corn for the oil and kernels.
YIELD: about 10 cups
TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes
DIFFICULTY: 1
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: spice grinder or mini food processor
CHEESE TOPPING
2 tablespoons Cheddar cheese powder (see page 12)
1/2 teaspoon buttermilk powder (see page 12)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch or rice flour
POPCORN
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon yellow or white popcorn kernels
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter
INSTRUCTIONS:
Place the Cheddar powder, buttermilk powder, salt, and cornstarch or rice flour in a spice grinder or mini food processor and whir for 10 to 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 the burner 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. (I find it easiest to use 2 same-size bowls and place one over the other to form a dome, then shake between them.) 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.