Do you have a love affair with truffle fries? I’ve got a healthy twist on this classic side with this recipe for cheesy rosemary truffle popcorn. This recipe can be made with parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast for a vegan modification!
When I go out to eat at a restaurant, I usually find myself in a mental battle between choosing something that is indulgent or something more waistline friendly. I like to justify in my mind that since we eat so healthy and clean at home, I deserve a little splurge when eating out. Sometimes I give in to this inner voice and if I do choose to splurge, I make pretty darn sure it’s worth every decadent bite.
If there’s one item on a menu that I can’t ever seem to pass over, it’s truffle fries. Yep. Bet you didn’t guess that one! I’ll even sometimes order whatever I need to just so I can get the fries. Although it makes much more sense to just order a side of them, but my rational self goes out the window when I see the word “truffle” next to the word “fries”. It’s a problem, friends.
Luckily for me, we don’t go out to eat that often and only a few of the restaurants we frequent even offer these crunchy potato sticks infused with oil made of gold… errr, truffles.
To satisfy my cravings at home, I’ve decided to turn to a much healthier alternative that I bet might even give the classic truffle fries a run for its money. I’m talking cheesy rosemary truffle POPCORN.
Remember when I stocked up on all the grains at the bulk bin section of whole foods? Well, I did the same thing with popcorn kernels. I now have just yellow ones, or a pretty variety of heirloom kernels. Take your pick.
What used to be written off as an unhealthy junk food snack, researchers are now finding that air-popped popcorn (best made at home) is loaded with polyphenolic compounds, one of the most powerful types of antioxidants that fights against cancer. Studies show that a serving of popcorn can even provide more antioxidant power than your daily dose of fruits and vegetables! I say in that case, bring on the popcorn!
[Tweet “Did you know that popcorn has more antioxidant power than fruits and veggies? #funfacts”]
This recipe for cheesy rosemary truffle popcorn is inspired by Kris Carr’s recipe for Rockin’ Rosemary Popcorn, but I added my own twist to kick it up a notch.
Whether it’s Super Bowl Sunday or a movie night in, whip up some of this cheesy rosemary truffle popcorn, sit back, relax and dig in!
Cheesy Rosemary Truffle Popcorn
To pop the popcorn kernels, you are going to need a good sized pot to allow for the kernels to have a little dance party of their own. Once you’ve decided on a large enough pot, add the coconut oil and heat over medium heat. Add a few popcorn kernels to the bottom of the pot for a test. Once the kernels pop, remove the pot from the heat.
Add the rest of the kernels, cover with a lid and shake back and forth for 30 seconds. This allows the kernels to become evenly coated with the oil and warm through. Put the pot back over the heat and continue to gently shake back and forth.
Once the kernels start popping, crack open the lid. However, be mindful that popping oil will burn you, so make sure the lid is cracked ever so slightly, or wear oven mitts for extra protection (kidding, but not really). Continue shaking until you don’t hear any more popping. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Now, on to the good stuff! In a small saucepan, heat the truffle-infused olive oil and chopped rosemary over medium heat until the rosemary is crisped, about 5 minutes. This will allow the oil to become infused with the flavors of the rosemary.
Can’t find truffle-infused olive oil? I get mine from Trader Joe’s, or you can check this one out online. This recipe would also be delicious subbed with olive oil and sprinkled with truffle salt at the end.
To transform the plain popcorn into the mouthwatering cheesy rosemary truffle popcorn I’ve been talking about, first, drizzle the popcorn with ½ of the rosemary oil. Toss the popcorn. Drizzle with the remaining oil and toss again, making sure the popcorn is well-coated. Now, the cheesy flavor is up to your choosing. I used half parmesan, half nutritional yeast, but you could use all of one or the other to fit your dietary needs. Sprinkle the popcorn with the parmesan cheese and nutritional yeast (or one) and salt. Toss until evenly coated and distributed. Enjoy!
Cheesy Rosemary Truffle Popcorn {Vegan Modification Included}
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons truffle-infused olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons rosemary, minced
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast*
- 2 Tablespoons Parmesan*
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the coconut oil. Add a few popcorn kernels to the bottom of the pot for a test. Once the kernels pop, remove the pot from the heat.
- Add the rest of the kernels, cover with a lid and shake back and forth for 30 seconds. This allows the kernels to become evenly coated with the oil and warm through. Put the pot back over the heat and continue to gently shake back and forth.
- Once the kernels start popping, crack open the lid. Continue shaking until you don’t hear any more popping. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat the truffle-infused olive oil and chopped rosemary over medium heat until the rosemary is crisped, about 5 minutes. This will allow the oil to become infused with the flavors of the rosemary.
- Drizzle the popcorn with 1/2 of the rosemary oil. Toss the popcorn. Drizzle with the remaining oil and toss again, making sure the popcorn is well-coated. Sprinkle the popcorn with the parmesan cheese and nutritional yeast (or one) and salt. Toss until evenly coated and distributed. Enjoy!
Notes
For a vegan modification, omit the Parmesan cheese and use 4 Tablespoons nutritional yeast. [br]If you don’t have nutritional yeast, you can use 4 Tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
[Tweet “Get the #recipe for this Cheesy Rosemary Truffle Popcorn for a movie night in!”]
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