Appetizers Vegetarian

Fall Harvest Popcorn

November 10, 2014

I’ve said many times before on this blog how I love “weird” combinations of food. If there’s an odd ingredient in a dish, I want to make it. I’m fascinated by ingredients I would never think to put together and how they usually end up working in a dish. Luckily my friend Carol is this way too and when she flipped through my Food Network magazine, she was drawn to their Name This Dish recipe. It’s popcorn with a savory twist mixed with pecans, cranberries, and apple chips. I’ve taken the liberty to name it Fall Harvest Popcorn, since I’m never as creative as the folks that win those naming contests. I’ll keep you posted on the winning name. This snack combination is perfect since it’s savory and sweet. No more vicious circles of snacking, just pure gluttony!

Fall Harvest Popcorn

So, how’s it taste?

Once I had mixed the dry ingredients together to add to the popcorn, I knew this snack was going to be a hit. It smelled so good even without the popcorn and butter. Apple chips and cranberries give it its sweetness and two different textures, crunchy and chewy. Throw in pecans (I can binge on them alone) and those savory fresh herbs; rosemary, thyme, and parsley. I can’t tell you how much fresh herbs make this dish, so don’t cheat and use dried! Next comes tossing in freshly popped popcorn and the entire bowl gets drizzled with butter that’s been seasoned with poultry seasoning. One last touch of decadence is the crumbled, fried sage leaves. This was a first for us to fry sage leaves and I could see this being my new garnish on soups, too!

Fall Harvest Popcorn

We both thought this popcorn was fantastic! It’s savory, sweet, crunchy, chewy, and quite addictive. We also agreed it had too much butter. It was pretty greasy eating this, so I’d like to try with half the amount of butter and see if that helps. You need butter of course, but I’d like to see if I can keep the flavor and tone down the buttery fingers. This would be a really easy appetizer for any holiday parties coming up! It’s festive with red from the cranberries and green herbs!

Yield: 16 cups

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 5 min

Fall Harvest Popcorn

Ingredients:

6 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
12 sage leaves
Kosher salt
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 cups roughly chopped pecans
2 cups crushed apple chips
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme

Directions:

1. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil with a few popcorn kernels in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until one kernel pops. Add the remaining kernels, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook, shaking the pot occasionally, until the popping subsides, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the sage leaves and cook until crisp, about 3 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and repeat with the remaining sage.

3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the poultry seasoning. Combine the popcorn, pecans, apple chips, dried cranberries, parsley, rosemary and thyme in a large bowl. Drizzle with the butter mixture, season with salt and toss. Crumble the fried sage on top.

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  • Crystal | Apples & Sparkle November 10, 2014 at 2:15 pm

    This is such a cool idea! I love this change up of flavors! : ) And perfectly named!

  • Natalie @ Tastes Lovely November 10, 2014 at 2:49 pm

    I love this! How perfect would this be to set out on Thanksgiving?

  • Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice November 10, 2014 at 6:56 pm

    I love trying different combinations of food, too! It’s so fun to experiment with new things. I’m loving this sweet and salty popcorn! I would’ve never thought to add in cranberries and apple chips, along with spices, so I’m loving this! What a great treat to munch on!

  • Kelly - Life Made Sweeter November 11, 2014 at 6:58 am

    We can snack on popcorn all the time and a fall harvest version sounds amazing! Love the combo of pecans, cranberries and apple chips with all those herbs – such a perfect fall treat 🙂

  • Olivia+-+Primavera+Kitchen November 11, 2014 at 8:18 am

    Wow this is the best popcorn recipe I’ve ever seen, my dear!! I’ve gotta try to make this recipe tonight 😉

  • Kathy @ Olives & Garlic November 11, 2014 at 8:22 am

    Wow, I so want to try this. Yum.

  • Annie+@Maebells November 12, 2014 at 7:58 am

    Ohhh yeah! I love savory popcorns! This has such a great flavor combo! We usually make chez mix before Thanksgiving for everyone to snack on, but I think I might have to try this popcorn this time!

  • LizA November 12, 2014 at 1:59 pm

    I wonder if the herbs and seasoning could go in the popcorn pot with the oil — you get everything coated in one, and cut down on the butter. Just a thought.

  • cheri November 12, 2014 at 4:20 pm

    Hi Leah, what a brilliant way to prepare popcorn, the name is perfect.

  • Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron November 12, 2014 at 8:48 pm

    This looks like such an amazing popcorn dish! Love all those flavors in there, I am such a texture eater, so I know I’d love this one 🙂

  • mary+@+minutes+per+mile November 13, 2014 at 5:01 pm

    this seems like a perfect thanksgiving appetizer/snack!

  • Isadora November 13, 2014 at 9:34 pm

    I kinda love recipes with crazy ingredients too! I could snack on popcorn all day long and I love the flavors in this! I would have never thought to make a fall themed popcorn, so I’m so glad you posted this!

  • Shannon @ Bake.Frost.Repeat. November 14, 2014 at 7:53 am

    This popcorn looks so festive……and yummy. I’m into dried cranberries right now, so I’m totally down for trying them with nice, salty popcorn. Looks fantastic.

  • Cailee+@+http://hellohealthyeating.com November 16, 2014 at 11:19 am

    This looks amazing!! Good for you for coming up with a totally unique recipe! I LOVE kettle corn! That is my fave 🙂

  • julietta wilder November 23, 2014 at 6:07 pm

    why does everything that really tastes good have to have so many
    guilty calories? Oh, well. . . life is short. . .