The following excerpt and recipe for a Movie Night Snack Tray is from Frances Largeman-Roth's new cookbook "Everyday SnackTray," available now on Amazon.

Not only is this a fun way to level up movie night at home, it’s also a fantastic way to save money! I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that movie theaters mark up the cost of popcorn and candy by several hundred percent, making a trip to the theater a costly event. Popcorn and candy are musts, but it’s nice to include a snack with a little more substance, like nachos. We like to top ours with queso, sliced olives, and jalapeños, but you can top yours however you like.

• Kettle Corn (featured recipe below)

• Twizzlers

• Milk Duds

• Dots

• Gummy bears

• Butterfinger candy bars

• Junior Mints

• Good & Plenty candies

• Nachos

• M&M’s or other candy-coated chocolate pieces

We’ve always eaten a lot of popcorn at our house, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that I tried making kettle corn. It’s not difficult, but it’s certainly nuanced. If you end up burn-ing some kernels the first time, do not be discouraged! Depending on your pan, the kernels, and the intensity of your burners, you may need to adjust the directions a little. But the end result is absolutely delicious and 100% worth it! Be sure to use a kitchen towel to hold the handle of the lid while you’re shaking the pan because it will be hot.

Note: If serving to younger kids, look through the popped corn and remove any unpopped kernels. Also, kids under four should not be served popcorn.

Kettle Corn

  • Prep Time:10 mins
  • Cook Time:0
  • Total Time:10 mins
  • Servings:15
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • 1⁄4 cup avocado oil or other vegetable oil
  • 1⁄2 cup popcorn kernels
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1⁄4 tsp sea salt
Photo by Lauren Volo

  • Step 1

    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

  • Step 2

    In a large, deep saucepan with a lid, add the oil and a few of the kernels. Cover the saucepan and bring the heat up to high (if you’re using a power burner, heat just to medium).

  • Step 3

    Once you hear the kernels pop, add the remaining corn to the hot pan. Add the sugar and salt on top, replace the lid, and shake the pan. The popping will become steady. Continue shaking the pan until there’s a pause in popping.

  • Step 4

    Remove the pan from the heat and pour the popcorn onto the baking sheet. The pop corn will be hot! Wait a minute or so before transferring it into single-serving containers.

Used by permission from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 2023.