Looking for an Easy Thanksgiving Appetizer?

Look no further!

This weekend my husband and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary.  Instead of the usual dinner out, we booked a food tour in NYC. We went with a group, explored, ate and learned a ton! The tour checked out a bunch of Mom and Pop shops in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan. My husband and I ended the day with a full belly, great history on a neighborhood we’ve never really explored and so, so many food ideas!

One of the first stops was at an olive oil store for a tasting of their products. There we learned about the various varieties and processes of oil production. We had tastings of olive oil on bread and it was delicious.  But that wasn’t the real winner there. Truffle popcorn was. I can almost taste it as I write this.

It was simple but flavorful, you ate it and wanted more and more.  As I watched everyone “gobbling” it up I immediately thought of Thanksgiving. I knew this was going to be the easy Thanksgiving appetizer I was making. We visit family locally so Thanksgiving is a rare slow holiday for us. I don’t have to make the meal, I just bring a dish or two. This year, truffle popcorn is one of those dishes.  

You need to make this simple Thanksgiving appetizer, too.  It’s time to make Truffle Popcorn.

Let’s go to the Chalkboard.

What are truffles?

My simple answer is decadent and delicious. But the dictionary defines truffles as “a strong-smelling underground fungus that resembles an irregular, rough-skinned potato, growing chiefly in broadleaved woodland on calcareous soils. It is considered a culinary delicacy”.  Truffles add a deep flavor and richness to any dish that immediately has you going back for more.

What type of kernels?

In the grocery store, you will find three basic types of kernels, white, yellow and mushroom.  Yellow is the most popular type that is eaten, white is similar with a more tender texture, and mushroom popcorn that pops up big and fluffy.  Mushroom popcorn is best for heavy coatings like chocolate and caramel. For this easy Thanksgiving appetizer, we are going to use yellow popcorn.

How to Make Popcorn

This sounds so simple, right? I’ve learned that there are lots of options out there and I’ve tried most of them. I’ve recently been obssesed with the Whirly Pop.  It’s a pan with a metal bar inside that you spin so as to not allow the popcorn kernels to sit in the oil too long. I’ve made it many times and the popcorn always turns out great.  The only downside is that you are sitting and stirring the pot for what seems like forever. Also, the Whirly Popped popcorn is cooked in oil. For this recipe, I wanted air-popped popcorn since I would be adding oil for flavor later.

Enter the Hot Pop. It’s a great air popper that is super simple to use.  You put the kernels in the bottom, put the lid on and press the popcorn button on your microwave.  That’s it! You get a huge bowl of air-popped popcorn with little to no kernels left on the bottom. Made of silicone, it’s easy to clean and collapsible which is very much appreciated to those of us with limited kitchen space.  I’m not alone in my love for the Hot Pop, it has thousands of five-star reviews on Amazon.

How to get the Truffle Flavor

This Truffle Popcorn gets its flavor from three different sources, White Truffle Oil, Black Truffle Oil, and Truffle salt.  Both oils have different flavors and together they make a great team!

Now, truffle products are expensive, I know!  I spent over $30 on the oils and salt. But they are well worth it! Truffle oils are a great complement to many dishes. That being said if you don’t want to commit too much, just try the White Truffle Oil.  It has a great garlicky peppery taste.

Check out this easy Thanksgiving appetizer recipe for Truffle Popcorn below.

Don’t Where to Find The Goods?

Click below for the items you need. Full disclosure, the links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases.