So Good Broccoli Bites (with Cheddar)
With just 5 simple ingredients, including broccoli and cheddar cheese, these cheesy Broccoli Bites are an easy toddler meal. They are yummy enough for adults, too!
Servings: 8 (Makes 32 bites)
Calories: 73kcal
Ingredients
- 12 ounces broccoli florets (about 1 head fresh or a bag of frozen)
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs (or all-purpose flour)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the broccoli to a heat-safe bowl. Cover with boiling water and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Drain and pat dry firmly with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. (This ensures the batter is not too wet to scoop.)
- Add the broccoli and the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil spray to the bowl of a food processor. Grind on high until a batter forms, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Portion out 1 tablespoon balls and drop onto the prepared baking sheet. (I use a mini ice cream scoop to make this step easy.) Press down slightly and spray with olive oil spray.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Serve warm with desired dips. (You can also air fry at 375 degrees F for about 12 minutes. Or pan-fry in butter or olive oil over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes per side. Press down if pan-frying to ensure they cook through in the center. They will be more like fritters with the pan method.)
Notes
- Let cool and store in a container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in a freezer bag in a single layer (or place parchment paper between multiple layers) in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- To reheat, place on a parchment-lined baking tray in a 375-degree-F oven for 4-6 minutes or until warmed through; in a toaster oven until warmed through; or in a 375-degree-F air fryer for 2-3 minutes.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs or a 1:1 style of GF flour blend.
- Egg-free: Use a liquid egg replacer like the one from Just Eggs.
- Briefly soaking or cooking the broccoli removes the "raw" flavor.
- Try with dips such as hummus, salsa, sour cream, ketchup, or my cucumber yogurt dip.
Nutrition
Serving: 4 bites | Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 173mg | Potassium: 165mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 397IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg