Popcorn recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks

Hot air popcorn popper and popcorn. Photo: Crystal Hessong

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Many people think that popcorn was served at the first Thanksgiving, but this is likely to not be true. According to the Plimoth Plantation, there has been no archaeological evidence or written references  that there was any popcorn in the area in 1621, the year of the first Thanksgiving. In fact, it seems that the story of the first Thanksgiving was an invention of the Victorian Era.

So how did popcorn come to be a staple at movie theaters around the United States? According to What's Cooking America?, popcorn was known to the Iroquois in the Great Lakes region in the 17th century. Colonial housewives, not sure of what else to do with it, served it as a breakfast cereal, topped with sugar and cream. The first bowl of Corn Pops!

Popcorn remained under the radar until the late 19th century when the first popcorn machine was invented in 1885 by Charles Cretors of Chicago. It was adapted to a portable wagon which could be used to sell popcorn on the streets rather than having to be tethered to a store front for its fuel source. Popcorn wagons were a familiar site in larger cities in the United States through the Great Depression. During the Depression, Americans could not afford many treats, but then as it is now, popcorn and the movies were inexpensive luxuries. Slate.com notes that to raise revenues in the Great Depression, movie theaters would allow popcorn vendors to rent space in their lobbies. The rest, as they say, is history. During World War II when sugar was rationed, unsweetened popcorn could still be consumed. This lead to a surge in popcorn intake that continued to rise into the 1950s when families gathered together with a large bowl of homemade popcorn in front of their televisions. Popcorn is still popular as a television and movie accompaniment.

Great, so popcorn has been around for a long time, but how does that affect your cooking? You can take some inspiration from colonial housewives and make popcorn cereal.

Popcorn Breakfast Cereal

• 2 c. popped popcorn
• 1 c. milk
• 2 tbsp. sugar or maple syrup

1. Divide the popcorn into two bowls.
2. Pour the milk over the popcorn in the bowls.
3. Top each bowl with 1 tablespoon of sugar or syrup.
4. Serve as a breakfast cereal.

There are many ways that you can pop your popcorn. A hot air popper in pictured above, you can use a microwaveable bag, or make it on the stove top. Alton Brown has a cheap way to make microwave popcorn using a brown paper bag. You can even use Alton Brown's method and omit the oil with success for an even healthier treat. Stove top popcorn is not as difficult to make as you might think.

Stove Top Popcorn

• 1/3 c. popcorn kernels
• 1/3 c. oil

1. Heat a large 2 qt. pot over medium-high heat on the stove. Add the popcorn kernels and oil.
2. Place the lid on the pot slightly ajar. You need to leave a gap to release the steam and prevent the popcorn from getting soggy.
3. Shake the pot as the popcorn pops. Immediately remove the pot from the heat when the popping stops.
4. Open the pot and serve the popcorn or use in a recipe.

Now you have your popcorn, you do not have to be tied to serving it for a snack. Below are links to several ways to use popcorn for every meal of the day.

Breakfast Popcorn Recipes

• Popcorn Muffins
• Popcorn Granola

Lunch Popcorn Recipes

• Popcorn Perch Recipe
• Popcorn Salad
• Popcorn Bread

Dinner Popcorn Recipes

• Mushroom Crusted Tilapia
• Popcorn Crusted Macaroni and Cheese

Dessert Popcorn Recipes

• Chocolate Popcorn Biscotti
• Popcorn Pie