Jalapeno, Garlic, and Parmesan Cheese Popcorn Recipe
Jalapeno, Garlic, and Parmesan Cheese Popcorn Recipe
A Scrumptious & Spicy Vegetarian Snack For The Grown Ups!
Tired of the same old plain butter popcorn movie night after movie night? Spice things up this weekend and serve a big bowl of jalapeno, garlic, and parmesan cheese popcorn instead.
I love the old-fashioned taste of popcorn popped in a little oil directly on the stove top. No microwave popcorn for this girl, and well, hot air popcorn is just a little bleh and boring to me! I have been dropping hints that I would love a stove-top kettle corn popper for Christmas; I have been very good this year, so I am hoping Santa will leave one under the tree for me. In the meantime, I will continue to make my popcorn in a big, heavy stainless steel pot, which works just as well.
I like to use peanut oil in this recipe because it can be heated to a very high temperature without smoking or burning and it has a wonderful light, nutty flavor which makes the popcorn taste amazing.
If you want your popcorn extra spicy, leave the seeds inside the jalapeno pepper and add a dash of cayenne pepper. The green flesh of the jalapeno is very mild, whereas the seeds and the white membrane are what contain most of the heat.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup popcorn kernels, (I prefer Orville Redenbacher’s; no kernels are left unpopped!)
- 3 tbsp peanut oil
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Heat peanut oil in a large pot or stove-top kettle corn popper over medium heat.
- Add the popcorn kernels to the pot and cover with a lid.
- As soon as the kernels start popping, lift and shake the pot every few seconds until all the kernels are popped. Use a pair of oven mitts for this step – your hands can get very hot standing over a burner and they also protect your hands from the hot steam that escapes out from underneath the lid.
- Pour the popped popcorn into a large bowl.
- Heat the butter, crushed garlic and diced jalapenos in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat about 1 minute, just long enough to melt the butter and to slightly soften the garlic and peppers, allowing the flavors to blend together.
- Drizzle the jalapeno garlic infused butter over the popcorn.
- Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top and season with sea salt and a little cayenne pepper to your liking. Stir the popcorn really well to mix the butter, cheese and spices evenly.
- Dish the popcorn out into individual bowls or serve it family style in one large bowl.
