Amp Up Your Next Bowl Of Popcorn With Everything Bagel Seasoning

After a long week, there's nothing like kicking back, putting your feet up, and popping on a movie. On movie night, the snacks are just as important as the film. And, of course, no movie night would be complete without a giant bowl of popcorn to dig into.

Usually, when it comes to flavoring your popcorn, butter and salt are the go-tos. But, there's another topping you can easily toss into your popcorn bowl for extra flavor – everything bagel seasoning. This seasoning adds savory, salty, nutty notes that work beautifully on the light, airy popped corn kernels. It's also got garlic and onion flavors that add pungent undertones.

Throwing on some everything bagel seasoning is a simple way to make plain popcorn more interesting, regardless of whether you grind your own seasoning blend, or use a store-bought variety. In five minutes or less, you can have an upgraded snack that looks and tastes delicious.

To make everything bagel popcorn for your movie night, the first thing to do is prep the popcorn. The good news is that you can use any method you like, whether you've got a popcorn popper, make it on the stove, or even just pop it into the microwave. If you pick the latter method, use plain, unseasoned popcorn. Microwave packages often include butter and salt, which can make the snack overly salty once everything bagel seasoning is added.

Once you've popped your popcorn, it's time to drizzle it with either oil or butter. This will help your seasoning stick to the kernels and not just fall to the bottom of your bowl. If you go with butter, melt it first. You can also mix it with some minced garlic to enhance the flavors of the everything bagel seasoning even more.

Finally, it's time to add the seasoning. While you can just sprinkle it on your popcorn, grinding it to a finer consistency will make it coat the kernels more evenly. Start with 1 to 2 tablespoons of seasoning for every 8 cups of popped popcorn. You can always add more if you want a stronger flavor. Then, toss or shake the popcorn to evenly coat, and you're ready to dig in.

If you choose to make homemade everything bagel seasoning, you'll need to research what goes into it. Typically this seasoning is made using poppy, white, and black sesame seeds. It also features sea salt, dried onion, and dried garlic, which is what gives it its signature flavor.

Now, while these are the standard ingredients for this topping, you can also try some variations. If you love spice, for instance, you could bring on the heat by adding red pepper flakes. Or, you could turn up the garlic flavor by mixing in a bit of garlic salt. Another option could be to introduce fennel or caraway seeds. When you make a from-scratch everything bagel seasoning, you get the luxury of being able to play around with different mix-ins and flavors, creating a combination you love.

If you keep your seasoning in a sealed, airtight container stored in a cool place away from moisture, it should last for around six months. That means that you can keep coming back to this popcorn recipe time and time again. Movie night will never be the same!