There are a lot of unique holidays throughout the year, celebrating everything from foods to friends. Computer Learning Month. Eat Country Ham Month. Sarcastic Month. Even National Accordion Awareness Month. This year, celebrate National Popcorn Poppin’ Month – October – with some easy in-cabin recipes (perfect for movie nights), kids’ crafts made with popcorn, and some delicious flavored popcorn found right here in the Smokies!
POPCORN IN THE SMOKIES
CarmelCorn
647 Parkway | Gatlinburg, TN
Serving up buckets of popcorn since 1961, CarmelCorn in Gatlinburg offers classics like carmelcorn with peanuts, as well as popcorn loaded with pecans, cheese, toffee, white cheddar, and butter. Get a tin to take back to the cabin and hunker down for a movie marathon.
Yukon Heath’s Popcorn Emporium
606 Parkway | Gatlinburg, TN
Offering online ordering and lots of flavors in the store, Yukon Heath’s boasts gourmet popcorn in tasty flavors like aged Wisconsin cheddar, Cajun spice, carmel corn with candied nuts, garlic parmesan, and kettle korn. And if you’re watching the big game at the cabin, be sure to grab your collegiate sports popcorn tins!
Smoky Mountain Popcorn Co.
2530 Parkway #25 | Pigeon Forge, TN
Touting 151 gourmet flavors, Smoky Mountain Popcorn Co. is 100% natural and offered in flavors you’ve probably never tried with popcorn. Stick with the classics or branch out with bubblegum, Christmas, cranberry, Elvis Presley, blueberry cheesecake, banana pudding, tropical punch, M&M, chocolate almond praline, chocolate cherry, chocolate jalapeno, key lime, watermelon, Oreo, barbecue, and pumpkin space – just to name a few!
IN-CABIN POPCORN RECIPES
Give movie night in the cabin a boost with these 10 tasty recipes from Food Network Magazine for flavored popcorn. Use 12 – 16 cups of freshly popped popcorn and add any of these great flavor combos for a fun treat.
Brown Butter-Lemon
- Cook 6 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat until browned, about 7 minutes
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 ½ teaspoons grated lemon zest
- Drizzle over popcorn and toss with 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Ranch
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter with a 1-ounce packet ranch seasoning mix
- Toss with 16 cups hot popcorn and 2 tablespoons chopped chives and season with salt
Garlic-Herb
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan
- Add 4 grated garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon each finely chopped fresh rosemary, sage and thyme and cook 1 minute
- Drizzle over 16 cups hot popcorn and toss with 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Truffle
- Toss 16 cups hot popcorn with 6 tablespoons melted butter, 1 1/2 tablespoons truffle oil, 1/4 cup grated parmesan, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Movie Theater
- Melt 1 stick butter in a small saucepan over low heat, skimming off the foam and solids
- Drizzle over 16 cups hot popcorn and toss with 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Veggie
- Pulse 2 cups each mixed veggie chips and dehydrated snap peas in a food processor until powdery
- Toss with 8 cups hot popcorn and 2 cups each veggie chips and dehydrated snap peas and season with salt
Three-Cheese
- Toss 16 cups hot popcorn with 2 cups shredded cheddar, 1 cup grated parmesan and 1/2 cup grated pecorino; spread on baking sheets
- Bake at 350 degrees F until the cheddar melts, 3 minutes, and season with salt
POPCORN FUN FOR KIDS
Have a little fun with the kids on days around the cabin with this frightfully fun Halloween popcorn treat and a popcorn craft you can take back home!
Monster Munch Halloween Popcorn Mix | www.allrecipes.com
Ingredients
- 1 cup candy corn
- 1 cup dry-roasted, salted peanuts
- 1/2 cup candy-coated peanut butter pieces (such as Reese’s Pieces®)
- 1 pound chocolate almond bark (chocolate confectionery coating), broken into chunks
Directions
- Mix popcorn, candy corn, peanuts, and peanut butter pieces together in a large bowl.
- Melt the almond bark in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth, 1 to 3 minutes. Do not overheat or chocolate will scorch.
- Pour melted almond bark over popcorn mixture; stir until popcorn is well coated.
- Spread popcorn mixture out onto a flat surface lined with waxed paper or parchment. Let dry completely, then break into clumps.
Popcorn Bird Feeders | www.actii.com
Materials:
- ACT II® Microwave Popcorn, popped
- Scissors
- Cardboard
- Plastic knives
- Creamy peanut butter
- Birdseed
Directions
- Adults: Cut wreaths or other shapes out of cardboard using scissors. Poke a hole into the cardboard shape.
- Give each child a wreath and a plastic knife. Let children spread peanut butter over wreath and help them pour birdseed over peanut butter-covered wreath.
- Use spots of peanut butter to glue pieces of ACT II Microwave Popcorn onto the wreath, into fun shapes and sizes.
- Thread raffia or other string through the hole in the cardboard in a loop and knot.
- Using the string loops, hang the wreaths outside where children can see them.
- Birds and other outdoor creatures will have a feast!
- Send us a picture on Instagram.