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.
Hey there, I’d like to make these for a dinner party this weekend. Do you use the broccoli stems too or just the florets? Thanks!
hi, i used the stems as well! just make sure everything is chopped up very finely.
Love how you kept these so green by blanching just that one minute, and shocking. Can’t wait to try them!
Forgive me for asking but what does “turning sheet half way” means? Thank you!
hi k!
i mean, when you’re baking, rotate the sheet so that the back of the baking sheet is rotated to the front so all the tots get cooked evenly. sorry about the confusion!
I was wondering if you tried to AirFry these tots?
haven’t tried yet, but that’s an excellent idea, it’s on my list!