Home > Recipes > Broccoli Poppers Recipe
By Natalie Monson
Published on January 14, 2015
31 Comments
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My kids actually truly love broccoli. I can pretty much serve it anyway except for raw and they will eat it. But for those of you whose kids struggle with eating broccoli, you may have to get a little more creative to get them to try it. These broccoli poppers are gooey and cheesy on the inside, with a crunch on the outside and make eating broccoli super delicious. A great alternative to spicy fried jalapeno poppers!
Begin with your broccoli. You can use fresh or frozen, but I prefer fresh because there is less water. You will eventually have to squeeze out the water, whether you use fresh or frozen,so it is totally up to you what type of broccoli you use. Either with a food processor or a knife, chop your broccoli into super tiny pieces. Next, steam your broccoli for a couple minutes until tender. Then squeeze out the water. Add the rest of your ingredients to your bowl, and mix. ThisBroccoli Poppers Recipe calls for cheddar cheese, but you can use any kind you want. This round we used 1/2 Parmesan and 1/2 Mozzarella. I kind of prefer the stronger taste of cheddar though. Scoop out tablespoon size balls of the mixture and roll in Panko. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or sprayed. Bake until golden and crispy.
We like to dip these in homemade ranch but they are yummy just by themselves. They make a great appetizer, or even a side dish to your meal. These would be yummy served with a pasta dish, or a slow cookermeal.
Broccoli definitely has a unique flavor that can take some acquiring to if your kids don’t like it. We believe it is important to serve vegetables in different forms, because you never know what your kids will love. These broccoli bites are another yummy way to serve broccoli. They may not like steamed broccoli or raw broccoli, but they may love roasted broccoli or broccoli poppers!
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3.4 from 79 votes
Broccoli Poppers
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Total Time35 minutes mins
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Calories: 207kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cup broccoli, florets
- 1 cup, shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs, plain
- 1/2 cup, crumbs panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
Instructions
Place broccoli in a food processor and pulse into tiny peices. (You can also chop with a knife)
Steam your broccoli for 2-3 minutesuntil tender.
Squeeze out the excess water by pressing on the broccoli with a towel. Transfer to a bowl.
Add the rest of your ingredients to you bowl except for Panko, and mix.
Scoop out tablespoon size balls of the mixture and roll in Panko. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or sprayed.
Bake at 350 degrees F, for 10-15 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 283mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g
Keyword : Broccoli Poppers
www.superhealthykids.com
Natalie Monson
I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.
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31 Comments
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Would a flax egg work in place of the egg in this recipe?
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Yes that should work fine.
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These look so fun! It’s so true that you need to keep trying serving vegetables in different forms. My oldest will only eat raw broccoli, while my youngest will eat it sautéed or roasted, but not raw! It’s never easy, right? 😉
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Just popped these in the oven – hoping for a thumbs-up after school snack!
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do these freeze well if you wanted to make ahead
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We have never frozen them, but if you try it let us know how it turns out!
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Im in chch nz, where wld ubuy panko and what is it? Any”substitutes?
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Panko is dry, fine breadcrumbs made without the crust. You could substitute regular fine breadcrumbs.
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I bet these would freeze very well! I cannot wait to try these & I am sure my girls will love rolling them in Panko for me! Thank you for your work!
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As the mom of a toddler who’s vegetarian, this is a great option to expand his diet. Love it! Healthy, vegetarian and fit!
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Hi – could I replace the cheese with something?
I don’t want to give my daughter cheese.
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I’m not sure anything else would turn out the same. If you experiment, let us know what works for you!
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When does the Egg come into the recipe, it’s not stated??? Please n thank y!
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Did you read step #4?
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Egg is included in #4: Add the rest of your ingredients to you bowl except for Panko, and mix.
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Martha Vargas: I’m assuming in step 4, where it says combine all other ingrediants except panko.
I’m going to give these a try this afternoon!! Sounds delicious!!!! 😀
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Yep! You are right!
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Also curious about the egg, where does that go?
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You are all right – it goes in step 4 with the rest of the ingredients. Thanks!
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Do we need to use Panko? Is there any replacement, because I think where I live do not sell Panko.
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kezia – you can definitely use bread crumbs. Panko just makes it a little more crunchy, but it will turn out fine with bread crumbs 🙂
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I made these tonight. I used seasoned panko and also added salt, pepper and a little cayenne to the mixture (used extra sharp white cheddar for the cheese). I’m glad I added the extra stuff, because I still found them to be a little bland. I will definitely make again though. May try with cauliflower as well, though I suspect it will be wetter than the broccoli.
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Do you need to steam the broccoli?
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Yes, you steam it after it is chopped.
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how many servings does this recipe make?
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It makes about 30 poppers depending on the size of scoop you use 🙂
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Nutritional Facts?
Serving size?
Calories?
Protein Grams?
Fat Grams?
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All the recipes we add to our membership site has the calories, fat, carbs, fiber, and sugar. You can see more details here:
https://www.superhealthykids.com/meal-plan-memberships/
The other recipes we post for our blog can be calculated at http://nutritiondata.self.com/ Thanks for reading!
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If you chop the broccoli into tiny pieces before you steam it, won’t it fall through the holes in the steamer basket?
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Pretty good. The panko taste is a little overpowering. I cooked mine for an extra 5 minutes.
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