Broccoli Poppers Recipe (2024)

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Broccoli Poppers Recipe (1)

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!

Broccoli Poppers Recipe (7)

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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

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

www.superhealthykids.com

Broccoli Poppers Recipe (8)
Broccoli Poppers Recipe (9)

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.

Learn More about Natalie

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31 Comments

Would a flax egg work in place of the egg in this recipe?

Reply

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!!!! 😀

Reply

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?

Reply

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!

Reply

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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Broccoli Poppers Recipe (10)
Pretty good. The panko taste is a little overpowering. I cooked mine for an extra 5 minutes.

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Broccoli Poppers Recipe (11)

Reply

Broccoli Poppers Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why does my broccoli soup taste bitter? ›

Broccoli contains varying amounts of bitter compounds depending on the type. Standard broccoli is relatively mild in flavor, while Chinese broccoli is slightly more bitter, and broccoli rabe contains the highest level of bitter compounds.

How do you reduce the taste of broccoli? ›

Blending and Straining: Pureeing the soup and then straining it can help reduce the intensity of the broccoli flavor. This process removes some of the fibrous textures and can result in a smoother and milder taste. Combining Flavors: Adding complementary ingredients can help balance the strong taste of broccoli.

Why do broccoli and cheese go together? ›

Serving Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan adds a big punch of umami to the green veggie, even if you just add a modest two tablespoons. With cheese, broccoli gets creamy and comforting.

What reduces bitterness in soup? ›

Add sweet vegetables like carrots and beets. They will sweeten the broth and deepen its color. You might also add a bit of miso (or salt) and/or a squeeze of lemon juice. Sweet, salt and acid balance bitter flavors.

Why does restaurant broccoli taste so good? ›

How do restaurants make broccoli taste so good? As with everything made by chefs, they have unexpected (read: unhealthy) additions to their meals — mostly butter, oil and heaps of salt. An excellent tip for the perfect broccoli is the blanching step.

What does adding baking soda to broccoli do? ›

Finally, when the magnesium is leached out of the chlorophyll, the chlorophyll goes dull and the vegetables turn grayish. Because baking soda lessens the acidity of the cooking water, it also slows down the chlorophyll dulling process, thereby keeping the veggies greener for longer.

What seasoning is good on broccoli? ›

It's definitely hard to find a spice or herb that doesn't work with broccoli or broccolini. Any combination of garlic, salt, pepper and any classic herbs, (basil, rosemary, sage, parsley, tarragon, thyme, etc.,) is a surefire way to treat these veggies right.

Why do you soak broccoli in salt water? ›

Hence, soaking the vegetables in salt water not only removes the pesticides and insecticides, but it also kills the bacteria and bugs present on them.

Why do you put broccoli in ice water? ›

To keep those green beans, broccoli, asparagus, or leafy greens really green, submerge them in an ice water bath the moment you pull them out of the boiling water. This will keep them vibrantly green with a pleasing snap.

Why do some people like broccoli and others don t? ›

For those people that have a particular gene that makes them a Supertaster - Wikipedia this bitter compound makes eating broccoli a repellent experience, it just tastes completely wrong to them. A person who does not have this gene cannot understand why they dislike it as it simply does not taste that way to them.

Why does cooked broccoli taste bitter? ›

Why is Broccoli Bitter? Broccoli contains several compounds which some people perceive as bitter. Proper growing, storage, and cooking can replace that bitter flavor with an earthy, almost sweet taste. Broccoli is best grown when the temperatures are cool and there is less sunlight.

What makes cooked broccoli bitter? ›

What causes broccoli to be bitter? Overcooking broccoli releases sulpher compounds. Take a hint form chinese cooking with a wok. Rapid and high heat produces a crisp and bright green presentation.

How do you fix bitter broccolini? ›

Add Lemon Juice

Lemon juice also helps offset the bitterness of broccoli rabe. After steaming or boiling, blanch the it n boiling water for two minutes, then remove it and drop it into cold water. Once retrieving it from the water, add fresh lemon juice to taste.

What makes veg broth bitter? ›

Turnips and radishes. While you can toss in the tops of most produce, there are some root veggies she recommends leaving out. "Stay away from some of those really bitter root vegetables, like turnips and radishes," says Jawad. They can ruin the balance of your stock, making it come out very bitter.

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