Have you ever eaten something that seems unbelievably weird, but it tastes good and is delicious despite its inherent weirdness? Last week I wrote about Spaghetti Tacos and Spaghetti Pizza, so writing about Nacho Popcorn should not come as any kind of shock for my regular readers. While doing some research for a piece about Halloween party snacks, I came across this recipe for Nacho Popcorn on BettyCrocker.com. The part of the recipe that drew my attention was the picture. The image of wet olive slices tossed with popcorn seemed weird to me. The recipe had twelve high ratings and two solid reviews, so I put my trust in all of you and decided that I just had to try this.
I happened to have all the ingredients on hand since I was planning to make chicken tacos, so I switched gears and made this popcorn on Sunday night (just in time to watch Mad Men). I reduced the recipe by a bit more than half and made a generous portion for me and my husband. It satisfied my desire for a savory snack, and unlike the bad joke ("nacho" like "not your"....get it!!!) in the title of this blog post, it was really, really good.
Nacho Popcorn
2 bags (3.5 oz each) microwave popcorn (butter or natural flavor), popped
Chili powder
1/2 cup well-drained sliced ripe olives
1/4 cup well drained Old El Paso® chopped green chiles
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (8 oz)
Remove and discard unpopped kernels from popped popcorn. Divide popcorn among four 10-inch microwavable dinner plates. Sprinkle each with desired amount of chili powder and equal amounts of olives, chilies and cheese.
Microwave 1 plate at a time uncovered on High about 1 minute or until cheese is melted. (If cheese melts unevenly, rotate plate 1/2 turn after 30 seconds.) Serve warm.
Not a risk taker? Try this recipe for Oven Caramel Corn