Broccoli Cheddar Bites

Broccoli Cheddar Bites
 

Broccoli Cheddar Bites

Do you like broccoli? I LOVE, seriously love broccoli. Favorite way to eat it? 

I wish more people shared my enthusiasm.

If you are in the not-so-sure-about-broccoli camp, or are cooking for someone who needs to eat more vegetables but is less than enthused at the prospect, this is the recipe for you......Read More

For these broccoli cheddar bites, we mix chopped steamed broccoli with cheddar, torn bread, onion, eggs and mayo, and bake them in mini muffin tins (or freeform) until toasty brown.

Broccoli Cheddar Bites Recipe

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes
• Yield: Makes 24 broccoli bites

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch of broccoli florets
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup, packed, torn fresh bread (no crust)
• 1/4 cup grated onion
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup (4 ounces, 114 g), packed, grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Place 1 inch of water in a pot with a steamer basket. Bring to a boil. Add the broccoli florets. Steam the broccoli florets for 5 minutes, until just tender. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Finely chop the steamed broccoli florets. You should have 2 to 2 1/2 cups.

2 Place the beaten eggs and the torn bread in a large bowl. Mix until the bread is completely moistened. Add the grated onion, mayonnaise, cheese, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Stir in the minced broccoli.

3 Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat the wells of 2 mini muffin pans (1 dozen wells) with olive oil (so the bites don't stick). Distribute the broccoli mixture in the muffin wells. Bake for 25 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned on top.

If you don't have mini muffin pans, you can cook the bites freeform. Just grease a baking sheet and spoon large dollops of the mixture onto the pan. Baking time is the same.

They’re perfect for a quick snack, party appetizer, or school lunch. You can easily make a batch or two ahead, and chill or freeze, then reheat in the microwave when ready to serve. Enjoy!