Zesty Wisconsin Parmesan Popcorn 

---

Serves: 8 person(s)

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 0 mins
Extra Time: 5 mins (for pre-popping the popcorn and melting the butter)

Like cheese popcorn but want a lower-cal version than the store-bought cheese popcorn? Try this popcorn, made with real cheese.
Per serving: 63 calories, 3 g fat and 240 mg sodium
Saves: 97 calories, 10.4 g fat and 297 mg sodium

Suggestions:

Remove unpopped popcorn kernels, particularly if serving small children.

Ingredients:

The ingredients in store-bought cheese popcorn generally include cheddar cheese powder, artificial flavorings, salt and oil-popped popcorn rendering it quite a fatty, salty snack.

This zesty Wisconsin Parmesan Popcorn made-over recipe shaves off fat, calories and salt by replacing oil-popped popcorn with air-popped, and reducing the amount of added salt. Plus by using real cheese, instead of cheese powder, the flavor is enhanced.

To learn more about recipe makeovers see CalorieKing's library article "Smart Substitutes: Your Guide to Low-Calorie Cooking Alternatives".

Recipe Makeover
8 cup air-popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup kernels) 3 Tbsp buttery spread, melted (such as Smart Balance) 1/4 cup grated reduced-fat Wisconsin Parmesan cheese 1 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp salt

Traditional Recipe
8 cup oil-popped popcorn 6 Tbsp melted butter 1/2 cup cheddar cheese powder 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste 1/4 tsp black or white pepper, or to taste

Directions:

Place popped popcorn in large bowl. Drizzle melted butter over it and toss lightly. Quickly stir in cheese and seasonings. Toss to mix.

Author:

Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
WisDairy