Who knew broccoli could be addictive? These easy homemade cheesy broccoli tots are the perfect snack for kids and adults alike, and they only take about 30 minutes to make.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Easy recipe: Just blanch the broccoli, pulse in a food processor, combine the rest of the ingredients, shape and bake. Plus, you only need 9 ingredients, and 4 of those are just salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder!
- Hidden veggies: This recipe is an awesome way to sneak vegetables into your diet. I personally think these taste even better than regular tater tots. They're a great option for picky kids (and adults!).
- Honey mustard dipping sauce: As good as these tots are, they're even better with a homemade honey mustard. It's super easy with just 4 ingredients. If you don't like honey mustard, try serving them with ketchup, marinara, etc.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these cheesy broccoli tots:
Ingredient Notes
- Broccoli: We used fresh broccoli in this recipe. You could also try frozen broccoli, but it might have too much moisture, so we'd really recommend using fresh.
- Cheddar: We used finely shredded sharp cheddar in this recipe - the sharper your cheddar, the more the flavor will come through. We also recommend finely shredding so that the cheese incorporates evenly into each tot.
- Breadcrumbs: We used Japanese panko-style breadcrumbs, which help bind the tots together without creating any density. You can try regular breadcrumbs as well, but we'd recommend panko.
- Onion: Be sure to finely dice (brunoise would be even better) your onion to ensure there aren't any huge chunks in your tots. You can also try grating them and then squeezing out the moisture with a cheese cloth.
- Salt: We always use this kosher salt unless otherwise noted. If you use table salt or fine sea salt, start with less than what's stated in this recipe.
Step-by-step Instructions
PREP: Preheat oven to 400˚F / 200˚C and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
STEP 1: Add broccoli to boiling water, and cook for 3 minutes. Immediately move broccoli to a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking process. Pat broccoli with paper towels or kitchen towels until it's almost completely dry. If there is too much excess moisture, the batter will be too wet and won't hold its shape in the oven.
STEP 2: Add broccoli to a food processor and pulse 3-5 times, until you have very finely chopped broccoli bits.
STEP 3: Chop your onions finely and shred your cheddar cheese. In a large mixing bowl, combine your (whisked) eggs, chopped broccoli, onion, cheese, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder with a your hands or a spatula.
STEP 4: Using a tablespoon, scoop out a portion of your tot mixture, squeeze it in your hand to compress, and shape into a tater tot shape. Place onto a greased (we used olive oil) sheet pan.
STEP 5: Bake for 10-13 minutes until browned on bottom, then flip and cook for another 10 minutes.
Honey mustard dipping sauce: Combine mayo, honey, dijon, and splash of vinegar in a small mixing boil, and whisk to combine.
Expert Tips and FAQs
- Too much moisture will make your tots flatten out as they bake. To ensure you limit moisture, dry off your chilled broccoli thoroughly with paper towels or kitchen towels. If you make your batter and it's still too wet, add more breadcrumbs as needed.
- Use finely shredded cheddar to ensure the cheese gets evenly incorporated throughout each tot. It's best to shred your own cheese from a block instead of buying pre-shredded cheese.
- Shaping your tots: Use a tablespoon measuring spoon to measure out 1 tablespoon for each tot, then squeeze your tot tightly in one hand to compress it, then shape into its final tot form.
- Gloves help: The raw tot mixture can be a bit sticky, so we'd recommend using food-safe plastic gloves for shaping.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For best results, reheat in a 350˚F oven until heated through (~6-8 minutes).
- Freezer storage: Place the cooked tots on a sheet pan (not touching) and freeze, then transfer to a freezer safe container. (This prevents them from sticking together in one big clump in the freezer.) Reheat straight from the freezer in the oven until warmed through, or defrost overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat.
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📖 Recipe
Cheesy Broccoli Tots
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 3 dozen
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Who knew broccoli could be addictive? These easy homemade cheesy broccoli tots are the perfect snack for kids and adults alike, and they only take about 30 minutes to make.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese (for best results, shred by hand instead of buying pre-shredded)
- ⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt*
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F and lightly grease a sheet pan.
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a bowl with ice and cold water and set aside.
- Once boiling, add the broccoli and simmer for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the ice water to stop cooking. Drain well, then pat the broccoli dry with paper towel to remove as much excess moisture as possible. (If there is too much moisture, the batter will be too wet.)
- Add the broccoli to a food processor and pulse a few times, until the broccoli is finely chopped. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a knife to finely chop the broccoli.
- Add the broccoli, eggs, cheese, breadcrumbs, onion, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder to a large bowl and mix thoroughly. It's easiest to mix with your hands to make sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Use a 1 tablespoon measurement to portion the batter, then form into a tot shape. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly browned, then flip each one over and bake for another 10-12 minutes, until golden brown on both sides.
- Enjoy plain or with a dipping sauce of choice.
Notes
Salt: *If using table salt or fine sea salt, you may want to use less.
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce: Whisk together equal parts mayonnaise, dijon mustard and honey (we used 2 tablespoon of each) and a splash of white vinegar (optional).
Too much moisture will make your tots flatten out as they bake. To ensure you limit moisture, dry off your chilled broccoli thoroughly with paper towels or kitchen towels. If you make your batter and it's still too wet, add more breadcrumbs as needed.
Use finely shredded cheddar to ensure the cheese gets evenly incorporated throughout each tot. It's best to shred your own cheese from a block instead of buying pre-shredded cheese.
Gloves help: The raw tot mixture can be a bit sticky, so we'd recommend using food-safe plastic gloves for shaping.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For best results, reheat in a 350˚F oven until heated through (~6-8 minutes).
Freezer storage: Place the cooked tots on a sheet pan (not touching) and freeze, then transfer to a freezer safe container. (This prevents them from sticking together in one big clump in the freezer.) Reheat straight from the freezer in the oven until warmed through, or defrost overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 tots
- Calories: 282
- Sugar: 2.7 g
- Sodium: 734.8 mg
- Fat: 17.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.8 g
- Fiber: 2.8 g
- Protein: 16.1 g
Danielle says
These are so tasty! The sauce is amazing too! We've made them several times and my folks make them at their house too. For a time saving hack, use frozen broccoli that's been thawed on the counter instead of blanching the broccoli, and parchment paper on the sheet pan if you don't want to clean the pan.