Snacks are an important part of a drive in theater. The traditional foods of the American Drive-in aren't exactly considered healthy, but that doesn't mean they have to be bad. Unfortunately, most of these foods can be bought for too much money in the local mega-mart, and they're not good.

But with a little effort, you can make them fresh for your own theatre, and you'll be the most popular guy on the planet.

You might need some special equipment for some of this. I did buy a deep fryer and an electric grill. I'd love to be able to cook with both of them at the same time, but they blow the fuses at my house, so I have to swap them out.

The deep fryer came from Target, and probably cost me $30. I wish I had spent a little more money and got a better model, this one can barely hit the temperatures I'd like (I really wish it could make 400 degrees).

The grill I got from Amazon. It's awesome. I can make sliders on it for movie night, or pancakes for the family the day after. Great purchase.

French Fries
Sliders
Corndogs
Deep Fried Pickles
Sodas

Perfect Thin And Crispy French Fries

Cook 5 Min Makes four ∙ Difficulty Easy ∙ Source Serious Eats

Ingredients

2 pounds russet potatoes (about 4 large) , peeled and cut into 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch fries (keep potatoes stored in a bowl of water)
2 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
Kosher salt
2 quarts peanut oil

Directions

1 Place potatoes and vinegar in saucepan and add 2 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes. Potatoes should be fully tender, but not falling apart. Drain and spread on paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet. Allow to dry for five minutes.

2 Meanwhile, heat oil in 5-quart Dutch oven or large wok over high heat to 400°F. Add 1/3 of fries to oil (oil temperature should drop to around 360°F). Cook for 50 seconds, agitating occasionally with wire mesh spider, then remove to second paper-towel lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining potatoes (working in two more batches), allowing oil to return to 400°F after each addition. Allow potatoes to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Continue with step 3, or for best results, freeze potatoes at least over night, or up to 2 months.

3 Return oil to 400°F over high heat. Fry half of potatoes until crisp and light golden brown, about 3 1/2 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain at around 360°F. Drain in a bowl lined with paper towels and season immediately with kosher salt. Cooked fries can be kept hot and crisp on a wire rack set on a sheet tray in a 200°F oven while second batch is cooked. Serve immediately.

Mini Man Burgers

Cook 10 Min ∙ Makes 8 Burgers ∙ Difficulty Easy ∙ Source FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients

1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 pound ground chuck
8 (3-inch) buns or rolls , split in half
2 - 3 Tbsp mayonnaise

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Preheat a griddle to 350 degrees F.

Combine the onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Line a jellyroll or sheet pan with parchment paper, and place the ground chuck in the middle of the pan. Cover the meat with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Roll meat with a rolling pin until it covers the surface of the pan; it should be very thin. Remove the plastic wrap, and sprinkle the meat with the seasoning mixture. Fold the meat in half, from side to side, using the parchment paper. Use a pizza wheel to cut the meat into 8 even squares.

Wrap the buns in foil and place in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place the burgers on the griddle and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Remove the buns from the oven. Spread a small amount of mayonnaise on each bun and top with the burger and any other condiments, as desired. Serve immediately.

Corn Dogs

Cook 5 Min ∙ Makes 8 Corn Dogs ∙ Difficulty Medium ∙ Source FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients

1 gallon peanut oil
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp (approximately 1 large) jalapeno pepper , seeded and finely minced
1 (8.5-ounce) can cream-style corn
1/3 cup finely grated onion
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 Tbsp cornstarch , for dredging
8 beef hot dogs

Directions

Special equipment: 8 sets chopsticks, not separated

Pour oil into a deep fryer or large heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cayenne pepper. In a separate bowl, combine the jalapeno, corn, onion, and buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all at once, and stir only enough times to bring the batter together; there should be lumps. Set batter aside and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Scatter the cornstarch into a dry pie pan. Roll each hot dog in the cornstarch and tap well to remove any excess.

Transfer enough batter to almost fill a large drinking glass. Refill the glass as needed. Place each hot dog on chopsticks, and quickly dip in and out of the batter. Immediately and carefully place each hot dog into the oil, and cook until coating is golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. With tongs, remove to cooling rack, and allow to drain for 3 to 5 minutes.

Fried Pickles

Makes 3 To 5 Servings ∙ Difficulty Easy ∙ Source FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients

Peanut oil , for frying
1 cup milk
1 egg
Pinch cayenne
Splash pickle juice
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt , plus more for seasoning
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp finely chopped dill
1 jar whole dill pickles , sliced into spears

Directions

Preheat your deep-fryer to 375 degrees F.

Into an 8 by 8-inch casserole dish, beat together milk, egg, cayenne, and a splash of the pickle juice.

Combine the cornmeal, flour, paprika, salt, pepper, and dill into another baking dish.

Thoroughly dry the pickles with paper towels. Dredge first through the wet, then the dry ingredients. Gently place pickles into the deep-fryer in batches and fry until golden brown, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined sheet tray and immediately season with salt.

Sodas

I'm not going to tell you how to make soda drinks, but I'll tell you what I do. I like getting soda's in individual bottles. It's more expensive than the big liter bottles, but what I don't use stays fresher than the big bottles. And there's less temptation to break into the soda stash between shows.

There's also a nice nostalgia value for older viewers, and kids love it because they have their own bottle. Go ahead, ask a kid to share a bottle and look at their face. That's not a good look.

Fortunately it seems to cut down on spills. If you offer straws, you also don't have to worry about cups. Kids and cups is just a bad idea.

Half of the appeal of this little theatre is the nostalgia aspect. I can't make it a modern theatrical experience, I'm not going to buy a soda machine. But I can achieve a vintage experience. An iced bucket filled with bottled colas is an experience. Because of this I look for vintage colas, Coke, Bubble Up, Dad's or Hire's Rootbeer, Orange Crush.