Ingredients
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
2 eggs
½ cup dry bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
12 ounces frozen broccoli, thawed, dried and chopped very small (about 2 ½ cups)
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, stir together the cheese, eggs, bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Add broccoli to the bowl and stir all ingredients to mix them evenly.
- Scoop a rounded Tablespoon of the mixture onto the baking sheet and form into a ball. Leave about 1-inch between each ball.
- Bake until poppers are golden brown and cheese is bubbling, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 1 to 2 minutes before removing from the pan and serving.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
This recipe was inspired by a culinary training session for child nutrition programs provided by Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council.
Notes
- Try adding other herbs and spices such as Italian seasoning or hot pepper sauce.
- Try different cheeses such as pepper jack or a mixture of mozzarella and parmesan.
- No frozen broccoli? Use fresh broccoli that is lightly cooked and chopped.
- Make your own bread crumbs from stale bread. Try using a box grater, rolling pin or food processor.
- No bread crumbs? Use cooked rice or quinoa instead.
- You can freeze the brocco poppers after step 5 and cook them later. Put the baking sheet in the freezer until balls are hard. Move balls to a labeled airtight freezer-safe container and return to the freezer. When ready to bake, remove from container and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
