Homemade Microwave Popcorn: Feeding many with little

Because I work with young writers right after their school day, they more often than not show up to my house HUNGRY.  Some think about a snack and their moms provide them with something but a vast majority of them rush here from school and haven't eaten anything since their lunch.

As one of my students says, "I'm always hungry."

I get hit with the ravenous appetite of teenagers daily and I know that expecting them to push through an hour of grueling writing and drills isn't easy on an empty stomach.  So I have to give them something - something inexpensive, easy to make, and easy to eat while they are working.

I've discovered that popcorn (aside from the insane mess it leaves underneath my table in my classroom) is a great snack for the kids.  It's filling, not so fattening, easy to eat while writing and doesn't break my piggy bank.  I can feed a lot of kids with a single bag and they all love it.

And I've discovered the BEST way to make popcorn - and it's in the microwave.  I'm not talking the bags you pick up from the grocery store (read the label of those bags - you're consuming a lot of extra stuff that is unnecessary) but a bag that you fill with popcorn kernels, oil, and salt and stick in your microwave.  I can pop about 1/2 cup of popcorn and yield about 4 cups in under 3 minutes.  It's the most wonderful thing ever, and I've even taught some of my students how to make it so they can go home and do it themselves.  The flavor is really wonderful as well and the texture is crisp and light.

Best of all?  No big pans to clean and nothing to wash except for salty fingertips.

Homemade Microwave Popcorn

Ingredients
½ cup popping corn kernels
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 large lunch bag

Method
Into your lunch bag, place corn kernels, vegetable oil and salt.  Fold over top of bag and give a vigorous shake so that all kernels get a bit of oil and salt.

Fold over top of lunch bag twice and place lying down in microwave.  Set your microwave to cook the popcorn (mine cooks the whole bag in 2 minutes 15 seconds but individual microwaves vary.)  Start with 3 minutes, and when popping sounds reduce to less than 1 every 3 seconds, shut off microwave.

Carefully open bag (it is HOT) and enjoy!  Add more salt if desired or other special seasonings. You can even make the popcorn mix with this method.

Be careful - some lunchbags may not be large enough for the ½ cup amount and you’ll end up with a mess like I did.  Reduce your popcorn amount to ⅓ cup and you’ll be fine.

Printable recipe

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