Easy to make and delicious broccoli tots with cheddar. They don’t taste all that much like broccoli, just baked little bites of deliciousness (can be made with cauliflower or a combo).
Broccoli tots with cheddar
Earlier this year, I had an intolerance test to make sure that there were no foods that were upsetting my belly.
I tell you, waiting the two weeks for those results was a very long time because if a food comes up as an intolerance, then the protocol is to remove it from your diet for 6 weeks then slowly reintroduce it and see if it has any ill effects.
I was terrified that it was going to come back with dairy which would mean that I'd be missing out on my beloved cheese for six whole weeks (I know this isn't a huge deal but food is a BIG part of my life).
Cheese is definitely one of my favourite foods and ingredients.
I missed Brie more than anything when I was pregnant with both boys and it was the one thing I asked to be brought up to me in hospital.
Just between you and me I (too) often find myself eating brie and crackers for lunch. Oops.
But it’s not just brie, I love all cheese except for maybe the really really stinky ones but let’s be honest, I’d probably still eat them too.
Today it’s about good old cheddar. That and doing anything I can to get my kids to eat more vegetables. The little one is pretty good, but the big one... let's just say I have to serve lots of hidden veggies to make sure he's getting his daily requirements.
I made cauliflower tots a while back and loved them (the big guy sadly did not) so when I ordered a few too many heads of broccoli one time, I thought I’d have a go at the broccoli version.
One word - delicious. I loved these.
They don’t taste all that much like broccoli, just baked little bites of deliciousness.
The big man tried them which is all I ever ask of him with new foods and he did go back for a few more bites which I count as a win.
They’re really easy to make and pretty healthy too.
I’ve been eating them for lunch all week with leftover meatballs I made from excess mixture from Monday night’s mince wellington.
They freeze well too. Pop them on a lined tray to freeze then once they're solid, transfer them to a container in the freezer to store. They're best if you re-heat them in the oven but still good reheated in the microwave.
A few tips for making broccoli tots:
- You can use a food processor to chop the broccoli but you do run the risk of turning it into baby food. I chose not to waste two cups of broccoli and cut it all by hand in just a couple of minutes.
- If you don’t have panko crumbs, I have made them with just all plain sourdough breadcrumbs or you could even use finely-crushed cornflakes for a gluten-free version.
- I found it easier to get my hands in there and squelch all the ingredients together rather than using a spoon. If you don’t like the feel then use some gloves.
- You can also press the mixture into a greased mini muffin tin if you don’t want to roll it into balls (or can't be bothered - there will be no judgement from me!).
- These taste just as good reheated the next day. I tried them in the oven and microwave and both were really good.
- Cheese tip - I always buy a big block of cheddar and grate it myself. It’s so much less expensive than buying it pre-grated and because you can grate it much more finely than store-bought it lasts longer too.
Enjoy!
So what about you? What’s your favourite type of cheese?
Recipe
Broccoli tots (with cheddar)
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw or frozen broccoli
- 1 large free-range egg
- ¼ cup finely chopped brown onion
- ⅓ cup cheddar cheese grated
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup italian breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon parsley or coriander, rosemary or thyme dried or fresh
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 175C / 347F fan-forced and line a baking tray with baking paper or grease it.
- Boil the kettle.
- Pop the broccoli in a large saucepan on the stove and pour the boiled water over the top then immediately turn on the stove.
- Boil it up for 1 minute then drain the water, fill the pot with ice, stir the broccoli around and then pour it all out into a strainer. You are doing this to stop the broccoli cooking any further so you don’t want it to be even a little bit warm. If it still is, run under cold water.
- Chop the broccoli as finely as you can.
- Place the chopped broccoli, egg, onion, cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper into a bowl then mix all the ingredients together.
- Using about a tablespoon of mixture at a time, shape it into little cylinders then place on the lined/greased tray.
- Bake for 10 minutes then turn them all over and bake for another 10 minutes.
- The original recipe serves these with sauce but I liked them just on their own.
Smita Kelvekar says
Wow that looks so yummy! Should try it.
Didn’t know there was a food intolerance test. Does a GP do that or a specialist?
Claire says
I did it through a naturopath.
Mary Frances says
Wow! That's new. Broccoli with cheddar? Fantastic!
Claire says
So yummy Mary!