Friday Night Movies at Home — and Some Popcorn Recipes

After all the craziness and parties of the holiday season, the start of the new year is a good chance to do some nesting and have a movie night at home. Whether it’s a family night with the kids, a chick flick with the girls, or a romantic comedy for two, a night in front of the screen is sometimes exactly what you need. Serve up some big bowls of popcorn. And while salt and butter is always an excellent topping, popcorn is incredibly versatile. Consider these toppings:

Pesto: Sprinkle dried basil and grated Parmesan cheese over buttered popcorn.

Chile Margarita: Add lime juice, a teaspoon of tequila and some finely minced jalapeno peppers to your butter before you toss.

Rosemary: Add 2 sprigs of roughly chopped rosemary to your oil before you begin  popping your corn for an herbal infusion.

Cheddar Cheese: Mix 1/4 cup cheddar cheese powder, a pinch of mustard powder, and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper with melted butter and popcorn.

Lemon: Add some lemon juice to your melted butter and toss the popcorn with zest of one lemon.

Pumpkin Spice: Mix 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice mix and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat until all melted and mixed. Pour over popcorn.

Bacon Cheese: Pour 1/3 cup butter over popcorn and then toss with 1/3 cup crumbled bacon and 1/3 cup grated cheese.

Mediterranean: Skip the butter and toss popcorn with olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese and some Italian seasoning blend.