So…broccoli was on sale at the store and because I have a wee bit of broccoli obsession, I bought a huge bunch. I’m talking like 8 heads of broccoli. Mike really likes broccoli too so it wasn’t difficult for us to finish them off. I hear that broccoli isn’t really a popular veggie – I’m guessing that some people think that it’s boring, but I really love its crunch, its color, and the texture difference between the florets and the stems.
With a broccoli abundance on my hands I was able to experiment! I have a bunch of broccoli recipes up my sleeve, but I’m going to roll them out slowly so you guys don’t get broccoli-fatigue.
Not that I know how you could ever get tired of broccoli, especially if they taste like these little guys: broccoli cheddar tots! They may not look like much, but they’re completely addictive! My broccoli and cheddar obsession lives on with these tots made for dipping. I spiced them up a bit with little shichimi togarashi dipped them in sriracha ketchup. Seriously good!
Cheddar Cheese Broccoli Tots very slightly adapted from Skinny Taste
makes about 28 tots
- 12 ounces broccoli
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 2/3 cups shredded cheddar
- 1/2 cup panko
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- shichimi togarashi, if desired
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Blanch the broccoli in boiling water for 1 minute then immediately shock with cold tap water or an ice bath. Drain very, very well.
Chop finely and mix throughly with the egg, green onions, cheddar, and panko. Season generously with salt and pepper. Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of mix into your hands and shape into a tater-tot shape. It helps if you keep your hands wet while you’re shaping. Place on your prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the tots are made. Sprinkle on shichimi togarashi, if using.
Bake until golden brown and crispy, 18-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet at the halfway mark. Remove from the oven and enjoy hot with extra shichimi togarashi, ketchup or sriracha!
Note: Shichimi togarashi is a Japanese seven spice mixture. I like the little bit of heat it gives these guys, but it’s entirely optional. You can find it here.
I used a mini ice cream scoop to keep the sizes consistent. If you like, you can just scoop out the tots and bake without shaping into a log.
YUMM. I love broccoli. Like love love it. And my dad hates it. So when I was little he used to sneak me his “trees” when my mom wasn’t looking. These little tots look so delish!! I’m still dying over that burger and now these? I hope my local grocery store is having a sale soon too, hehe. P.s. You have mad skills. How you make broccoli look so good is beyond me–teach me your ways!
These are genius! I just made broccoli cheese soup last night, and I SO wish I could have had these tots to dip in it. :)
Oh my god, haha, 8 heads of broccoli! I can relate to going on vegetable shopping sprees (especially when things are on sale), but I’ve certainly ever bought that much of a single vegetable. How do you manage to fit it all in the fridge? We usually find a way to cram everything in, but then the untidiness of the fridge bothers me.
And, of course, the tots look delicious!
I just bought waaaay too big a bag of chopped broccoli thats on its way out….could these be frozen? They’d be the perfect make-ahead snack!
I haven’t tried freezing them, but I think it would work!
Finally, a vegetable I can get on board with! These look delicious. And your photography is fantastic, as always.