Kahlua, bacon and more: 5 ways make gourmet popcorn

Popcorn — it's addictive, satisfying and a must-have for any movie-watching night. Whether eaten delicately kernel by kernel or devoured by the handful, popcorn is something that never gets old. But sometimes, one can't help but wonder if there is something more out there. Sure, there's nothing wrong with hot popcorn coated with real melted butter, but there are many other ways to dress up popcorn. Here are just a few gourmet options:

Popcorn with sriracha butter and Parmesan

Sriracha? Awesome. Parmesan? Awesome. Sriracha and Parmesan together — what? Believe it or not, it actually works. Try some.

• ¾ stick of butter
• 3 teaspoons Sriracha
• 1 bag of plain microwavable popcorn
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a small pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter and then mix in the Sriracha. In the meantime, pop the popcorn according to the package instructions.

When the popcorn is ready, pour into a large bowl and toss with the hot Sriracha butter. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Caramel-masala popcorn and pistachios

Here's an exotic twist on caramel corn by Cynthia Nims, author of “Salty Snacks: Make Your Own Chips, Crisps, Crackers, Pretzels, Dips, and Other Savory Bites.” Garam masala, an Indian spice mix, flavors the caramel.

• 8 cups popped popcorn (about 1/4 cup kernels)
• 1 cup chopped toasted pistachios
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fleur de sel, coarse or flaky sea salt, or kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Put the popcorn in a large baking dish, roasting pan, or broiler pan and scatter the pistachios over. Set aside. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the garam masala and cook, stirring, until quite aromatic, about 1 minute.

Add the brown sugar and corn syrup and cook, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture comes just to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, continue cooking for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda, which will lighten and expand the mixture. Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn and pistachios and stir to combine. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the popcorn. (Don't worry about the caramel not evenly coating the popcorn at this point.)

Bake the popcorn for 1 hour, removing the pan from the oven every 15 minutes to stir the popcorn well and help distribute the caramel evenly. Set the pan aside to cool, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking. When cool, transfer the caramel corn to a serving bowl.

If you are not serving the popcorn within a few hours, store it in an airtight container for 1-2 days.

Truffled popcorn

The Daily Meal's video producer Ali Rosen swears by her simple and addictive popcorn topping. Now, before you swear this off as a gimmicky way to use truffle flavor, hear us out. Rosen says to make sure to use store-bought truffle butter instead of truffle oil, "because truffle oil sucks." Melt over the stove at the same time you're popping the corn and toss everything together in a bowl. Enjoy!

Bacon caramel popcorn with bacon salt

Bacon makes everything better, including caramel corn. Don't miss out! 

• 1/4 pound quality bacon, preferably black pig
• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• 1/4 cup maple sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Bacon salt, to taste

Grind the bacon through the meat grinder attachment to your food processor. Place in a sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat; render until crispy. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat for cooking the popcorn.

In a pot with a lid, combine the bacon fat and popcorn over medium-high heat. When the first kernel pops, add the maple sugar and return the lid. Shake the pot while the kernels pop.

As soon as the popping has stopped, remove from the heat and place in a bowl. Toss with kosher and bacon salts.

Kahlúa and espresso bean caramel corn

Coffee addicts, this is the snack you've been waiting for. Kahlúa adds a boozy touch that melds nicely with the flavor of espresso.

• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
•  Vegetable oil (optional)
• 1 cup chocolate-covered espresso beans, plus more for serving
• 3 cups granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup Kahlúa
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Pop the popcorn using an air popper (or on the stove with oil if you don't have an air popper). Place the popped popcorn in a large bowl or foil roasting pan. Scatter the chocolate-covered espresso beans over the popcorn.

Cover 1-2 baking sheets with aluminum foil. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, Kahlúa, butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring nearly continuously, until the sugar melts and caramel becomes a pretty brown (caramel) color, about 15-20 minutes. Once it melts and turns a dark caramel color, trust your gut and act fast because it scorches quickly.

Add the baking soda and keep stirring. (Be careful as it bubbles up quickly and almost doubles in quantity.) Quickly remove from the heat, pour over the popcorn and espresso beans, and stir quickly to coat all of the corn.

Spread the caramel corn out on the baking sheets and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Add more chocolate covered espresso beans, if desired.

More from The Daily Meal:

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• Make your own Twinkies
• Make perfect nachos
• Recipes using your leftover cranberry sauce