Baked Broccoli Cheese Poppers

Name: Baked Broccoli Cheese Poppers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 12 oz, thawed, dried and chopped small Broccoli; 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese; 2 large Egg (Whole, Raw); 1/2 cup Bread crumbs (dry, plain); 1 tablespoon Wheat Flour (All-Purpose, Enriched); 1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon each Salt and black pepper

Baked broccoli, cheddar and bread crumb poppers — five pieces for 183 calories and 10.6 g protein.

183kcal per serving

10.6gprotein

17.2gcarbs

8.5gfat

398 mgsodium

Sodium is calculated without salt added to taste.

Per 1 serving of 4 — 5 poppers. Estimated; may vary.

Prep20 min

Cook20 min

Total40 min

Makes4 servings

DifficultyMedium

Baked broccoli cheese poppers are chopped broccoli bound with egg, cheddar and bread crumbs, rolled into balls and baked until the cheese bubbles. Five poppers come to about 183 calories with 10.6 g of protein and 2.7 g of fibre — a hot party bite that is mostly vegetable.

Dry the broccoli properly. Thawed frozen broccoli holds a surprising amount of water, and wet florets give you a mixture that will not hold a ball and spreads flat on the sheet. Squeeze it in a clean towel, chop it very small, and the balls keep their shape.

The tray of twenty bakes in fifteen minutes, so shape them in the morning, keep them covered in the fridge and bake when people arrive. They are still good warm rather than hot, which makes them one of the few hot appetizers that survives a potluck drive.

Ingredients

Amounts below make 4 servings, one serving is 5 poppers.

Broccoli12 oz, thawed, dried and chopped small (340 g)
Cheddar Cheese1/2 cup shredded (57 g)
Egg (Whole, Raw)2 large
Bread crumbs (dry, plain)1/2 cup (54 g)
Wheat Flour (All-Purpose, Enriched)1 tablespoon (8 g)
Garlic powder1/4 teaspoon
Salt and black pepper1/4 teaspoon each (1.5 g)

Cook’s tips

Squeeze the broccoli dry before it goes in the bowl. Wet broccoli is the only reason these spread instead of holding a ball.
Chop the florets much smaller than looks necessary; large pieces tear the mixture apart when you roll it.
Shape up to a day ahead and keep covered in the fridge, or refrigerate baked leftovers within 2 hours and reheat in the oven, not the microwave.
Contains: milk (cheddar cheese), eggs, wheat (bread crumbs, all-purpose flour).
For a gluten-free tray use certified gluten-free bread crumbs and swap the tablespoon of flour for cornstarch.

Method

Wash your hands and all surfaces before you start.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a baking sheet.
Squeeze the thawed broccoli dry in a clean towel and chop it very small.
In a large bowl, stir together the cheese, eggs, bread crumbs, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Add the broccoli and mix until evenly coated.
Scoop rounded tablespoons onto the sheet, roll into balls and space them an inch apart.
Bake about 15 minutes, until golden and bubbling; cool 2 minutes before lifting them off.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

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