Baked Broccoli Bites, a deliciously healthy and low-in-calorie snack or appetizer that even broccoli haters will love. These balls can be enjoyed by kids and grown-ups alike, and are super simple to make. Whether you make them for a picnic, kids’ school lunch box, or simply a healthy snack in between meals, my fantastic cheesy broccoli bites are sure to please a crowd.
BABY LED WEANING FINGER FOOD
If motherhood has taught me something, it’s that the kids’ taste buds are forever changing. My older daughter has gone from looking at most vegetables and pretty much all cooked food with disgust, to asking for broccoli for breakfast and chicken soup for lunch.
I mean, seriously, who is this stranger, and what has she done with my daughter? I look at her eating like a hungry horse, and I’m all amazed. So, yes, there is hope. Never give up hope!
I made these broccoli bites and I could hardly get her little hands off them for a few seconds to get these photos. She had quite a few, and then came to the kitchen again and asked for more.Meanwhile, her little sister had one, threw a few others on the floor, and then decided she wasn’t that impressed. Oh well, at least she had one.
So mummy had the rest, and I must say it was hard to decide whether the broccoli bites or the Baked Veggie Tots are the best. I guess I will have to make both again to be 100% sure.
How to make the best broccoli bites
So, no frying needed here, we are talking healthy food only. No added salt either, although I guess it could be argued that the Cheddar cheese is already salty. Not massively salty, anyway. I only added a tiny little bit of black pepper, and that’s pretty much it.
Yet, you get the most amazing broccoli balls, perfectly baked, with just a tablespoon of oil to grease the pan to prevent them from sticking. And that’s it!
Spring onions are for added taste, but you can safely omit them. I do like spring onions though, so I wholeheartedly recommend using them. I used regular breadcrumbs, but panko breadcrumbs can be used as well.
The egg gets to bind the mixture together, so not to be missed here. If you are not a fan of Cheddar cheese, feel free to use anything else you like, grated mozzarella should do too.
As for the texture, they hold their shape amazingly well, but they are soft on the inside, while the outside slightly browns beautifully in the oven. Serve them with ketchup, or any sauce of your choice. Or just enjoyed them on their own, they are still super delicious.
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Baked Broccoli Bites, a deliciously healthy snack or appetizer that even broccoli haters will love. These balls can be enjoyed by kids and grown-ups alike, and are super simple to make. Whether you make them for a picnic, kids' school lunch box, or simply a healthy snack in between meals, my fantastic cheesy broccoli bites are sure to please a crowd.
- 1 large broccoli head
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 spring onion
- black pepper to taste
- oil to grease the baking tray
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Break the broccoli head into florets, add them to a pan of boiling water, cover with a lid and leave to cook until soft, it takes about 10 minutes or less.
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Chop the broccoli finely, you should get about 2 cups of chopped broccoli. Leave to cool.
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Add the broccoli to a bowl, add the cheese, chopped spring onion, breadcrumbs, egg and black pepper, and mix everything well.
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Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (356 Fahrenheit).
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Grease a baking tray with vegetable oil, then shape small balls out of the broccoli mixture, I ended up with 18 balls, but depending on the size, you might get more or less.
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Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly golden brown, turning them on the other side half the way through baking.
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Serve warm or cold.
This recipe inspired me to see what I could do with broccoli while under a stay at home order in CA. I didn’t have all the ingredients so I improvised with what I had. I didn’t have bread crumbs, so I used an extra egg and some Greek yogurt to help bind the mix. I also added roasted mushrooms, onions, garlic and various spices into the mix (after blending well in a food processor). Turned out well! I had enough to snack on for a couple of days (household of 2) and to freeze for later.
Glad you liked the recipe 🙂