I am looking for a cheese popcorn recipe that uses real cheese such as cheddar, not powdered cheese packets. It anyone has tried Orville Reddenbacher’s popcorn with “Pourable cheese sauce” which I have found only at Wal-Mart, that is real close to what I want. I want to use it on air popped corn. Every time I try to make my own I end up with clumpy cheese and/or soggy popcorn.
Sharon
Thanks. Now I have tried melting butter and cheese, and just ended up with clumpy cheese. Is it because I have the butter too hot? Last time I tried adding a bit of cornstarch and using an immersion blender until I was ready to pour and it did not clump as bad, so I think I may be on the right track. I am just not sure if I should have the butter hotter to melt the cheese or not.
In the early 50s my mom used to buy a cheese once in a while at the outdoor markets (anyone remember those?) that came in wedges, but it tasted a lot like Kaukauna Club cheese, the kind that comes in the little plastic tubs. She used to put that on popcorn while it was real hot. She made popcorn on top of the stove, and would put the cheese on after it was popped, put the lid back on and shake it real good for a couple of minutes. That was good.
As for the cheese powder, some of it tastes pretty good, especially the ones from Trader Joe’s, but it is messy when you use it on popcorn. As far as lung problems go, I think anyone who is working around any kind of powder should wear a mask. The son of a friend worked in a bread bakery for 25 or so years, and is now awaiting a lung transplant. His lung failure is considered an occupational hazard. You can breath in any kind of powder and maybe it can clog the little sacs in the lungs where oxygen exchange takes place. It’s a wonder there are not more health problems with people who work in the food industry.
I wish Orville Reddenbacher would sell their “pourable cheese sauce” without having to buy the microwave popcorn. I would be willing to pay a pretty good price to have it once in a while.
Sharon
I do use real butter for popcorn, although I use some margarine for other things. I use a good aged chedder that melts great on grilled cheese sandwiches, etc. What happens when I try to melt it in the butter is the oil from the cheese separates and leaves the gooey stuff behind, which clumps up. I think it may be that I have the butter too hot. When you melt cheese in a white sauce the sauce is not real hot, and butter could get real hot since there is so little in the pan.
Do you think that grating it fine is the key? I don’t have a micro plane yet, but can grate it quite fine with the small holes on the box grater, then chop it with a knife.
I was thinking about going to the health food store and picking up some lecithin. They use that in commercial products a lot to keep things like salad dressings from separating. It is a kind of protein and is good for you even though it sounds like something bad. Supposedly it helps lower cholesterol and helps dissolve gallstones.
I had given up on this until I saw “Pourable” stuff at Wal-Mart. It has gotten me all eager to figure out the answer. I wish I had some other people around to help me eat the experiments! LOL.
Sharon