Broccoli & Cheese Tots

Original Recipe HERE

Making vegetables dippable and combining them with cheese are my go-to ways of getting the kids to eat them (though I know I'm lucky that the boys are usually willing to at least taste something new, and I can usually count on *N* to eat at least a whole serving).  These tots do both.  The flavor wasn't anything amazing, but they served their purpose.

I used fresh broccoli and didn't measure; I chopped up just under a head-and-a-half.  I also eyeballed the amount of onion and cheese.  They turned out fine, though when I portioned them onto the baking sheet (using a small cookie scoop), I was worried they weren't going to hold together and thought I should've used more egg whites.  The kids dipped them in ketchup or barbecue sauce, and the entire batch of 24 was eaten.  Success.

 

Ingredients
2 to 2 & 1/2 cups (12 oz) broccoli florets
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion [I used regular onion]
2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
salt & pepper

 

Directions
(1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil, or grease it.
(2) Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add broccoli; cook for 2 minutes.
(3) Add chopped onions to water (if not using green onion); cook another minute.
(4) Drain and rinse under cold water.  Dry with a dish towel.
(5) Finely chop broccoli and onions.  Transfer to a large bowl.
(6) Add all other ingredients to broccoli.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
(7) Spoon heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto the baking sheet.  Flatten slightly.
(8) Bake tots for 16-18 minutes, turning halfway through cooking, or until golden.

Kid Participation:
* Stir together all ingredients
* Spoon broccoli "dough" onto baking sheet

Roasted Parmesan Broccoli

Original Recipe HERE

 

I can count on my kids eating broccoli 90% of the time if I serve it steamed or roasted (the other 10% accounts for bad moods, stomach aches [real or imagined], and just general unpredictability).  So I figured that this would be eaten by 66% percent of them.  But they all wolfed down their portions and asked for more...and more...and more, until we ran out.  I thought it was great, too, and was disappointed to sacrifice any chance at a second helping for the greater good of my kids' health.  This will be a go-to standard.

 

Ingredients

1 lb fresh broccoli florets

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped

1/3 cup panko

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

salt & pepper

 

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2) In a large bowl, combine olive oil and garlic.  Allow to infuse for 10 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, chop broccoli into bite-size pieces.

4) Toss broccoli with olive oil and garlic; coat well.

5) Season broccoli with salt and pepper.

6) Toss broccoli with Parmesan and panko until evenly coated.

7) Spread broccoli evenly on baking sheet.  Bake 20 minutes or until broccoli is browned.

 

Kid Participation: Eat it!

 

Cheesy Broccoli Bites

Original Recipes HERE

 

Anything to get vegetables into the kids.  Some nights they love broccoli, and other nights they turn their noses up.  So I tried a new approach.  They ate these with no complaints and said they liked them.  They just signed themselves up for another batch to confirm or refute that.

 

I was worried these would fall apart, but I used a 1/4-cup measuring cup to scoop the mixture (for uniform size) and then packed it together into a firm ball.  Then I flattened it out into a patty.  Each of them stayed together with no problem, and they reheated well the next day.

 

Ingredients

1 package (16-oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1-1/2 cup shredded cheese
3 eggs
salt

pepper
1 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

(2) Chop broccoli until relatively fine.

(3) Whisk eggs in medium mixing bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

(4) Add broccoli, cheese, and breadcrumbs to mixture.  Stir until well combined.

(5) Form mixture into patties of the same size (approximately 1/4-cup each).  Place on baking sheet.

(6) Bake approximately 25 minutes or until light golden brown and firm.  Flip patties after 15 minutes if desired (I did not).

 

Kid Participation:

* Mix ingredients

* Form patties (if you're in the mood for a mess and some haphazardly-shaped dinner elements)

Garlicky Pasta with Broccoli

Original Recipe HERE

This might be my family's official favorite meal.  Every time I make it, each person - young or old, small or big - has multiple servings and wants leftovers the next day for lunch.  The kids actually cheer when I say I'm making "broccoli pasta."  It's crazy, I tell you.  But I will gladly take it.  A simple, quick, easy meal that everyone loves and uses ingredients I always have on hand...and also includes a vegetable?  I can't ask for more.

I like making this with gemelli pasta because of its non-mushy texture and how it pairs well with the broccoli (that will hopefully not be mushy, either).  Also, the amount of garlic and types / amounts of cheese are up to your personal preference.

When I haven't had enough broccoli, I've subbed cauliflower or carrots, and it still turns out well.

Ingredients

1 lb pasta of choice

2 to 3 broccoli heads

3 to 5 garlic cloves

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
pepper to taste

1/4 to 1/2 cup Parmesan

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or other cheese blend

Directions

(1) Bring water to boil in a large pot.  While waiting, finely chop or press garlic cloves.  Add to olive oil to begin infusing.

(2) Cook pasta according to package directions for "al dente."

(3) In the meantime, chop broccoli into bite-size florets.  Add to pasta water for last 4 minutes of cooking time.  Broccoli should be spearable by a fork but not soft.

(4) Drain pasta.  Save about one cup of pasta water.  Transfer to large serving bowl.

(5) In pot used for pasta, heat olive oil and garlic mixture on medium heat.  Add salt.  Stir frequently.  Remove from heat when garlic becomes lightly golden (do not brown).

(6) Add pasta back to pot.  Toss to coat.  Add cheeses and pepper; stir again until evenly distributed.
(7) Add about 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water; stir.  Add more if desired.

Kid Participation: Eat such copious amounts that parents are astounded at children's stomach capacity.

Risotto Primavera

Original recipe is from a box of College Inn chicken broth cans.

This wasn't as time-consuming or labor-intensive as I thought it would be, since the words "risotto" and "arborio" scare me off, especially on weeknights when I can't commit to standing over a stove and watching my masterpiece intently and constantly.  It turned out fine with just the occasional stirring from me, and I figured that if it wasn't absorbing the broth as it should, I could drain some off or add more, and the other tastes and textures in the dish would cover up any mistakes I made.  We ate it as our main dish (because I was lazy), but it's probably intended as a side.  I'm sure other vegetables could be substituted, such as asparagus or zucchini (but be careful not to let it get mushy).  The kids each ate a bowl and asked for a second, which neither finished.  I ate the rest for lunch the next day with no complaints.

Ingredients

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 Tablespoons butter

1 cup arborio or long grain rice [I used arborio]

2 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth, divided

1 cup chopped fresh broccoli

3/4 cup chopped red or yellow bell pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

(1) In large skillet over medium heat, cook mushrooms and onion in butter 3 to 4 minutes or until tender.

(2) Stir in rice; turn down heat if necessary.  Add 1 cup broth; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed.  Repeat twice, using 1 cup broth each time.

(3) Add remaining broth, broccoli, and bell pepper.  Cook 5 to 6 minutes or until broth is absorbed and vegetables are tender.  Stir in cheese.  Yield: 6 servings (about 4 1/2 cups total)

Notes: None.

Kid Participation: None.  I'm not trusting my four-year old to stand vigilant over (or even casually check in on) risotto.  And there's that little thing about not letting her use a stovetop yet, too.

Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad

Original Recipe HERE

I whipped this together when I realized I needed a side dish to feed our out-of-town guests.  By whipped, I mean frantically raided the refrigerator and pantry for any items that seemed like they could be combined and not taste awful.  Surprisingly, this turned out well, even though I served it less than an hour after making it.  Letting it sit overnight would be even better.

Ingredients
* For salad

1 head of cauliflower (about 2 pounds)

1-2 bunches of broccoli (about 1 pound total before trimming)

3 ribs celery, sliced (about 3/4 cup sliced)

1/2 red onion (or onion of your choice), sliced or chopped (about 3/4 cup sliced)

2 carrots [or a handful of baby carrots], washed and thinly sliced

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped (optional)

* For dressing

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

2 teaspoons dry mustard powder [substitute Dijon if necessary]

1/2 cup light olive oil or oil of your choice

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Directions

1) Wash cauliflower, remove stem and solid "heart," and cut into small bite-size florets (about 8 cups).
2) Wash broccoli and cut into small bite-size florets (about 5-6 cups).

3) Place cauliflower and broccoli florets, celery, onion, carrots, and green pepper (if using) in large bowl.
4) In medium mixing bowl, combine dressing ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour over veggies and toss to combine and coat.

5) Chill salad for a few hours or overnight (can keep in the fridge for several days).

Notes: None.

Kid Participation:
* Whisk dressing ingredients
* Stir entire salad together

Veggie Pizza Appetizers

This is a dish for which I pulled inspiration from several sources...several years ago.  It's a "make it up as you go to suit your own taste" kind of thing.  But it's always a hit at parties because people feel good about themselves for eating something loaded with vegetables.  It justifies going back for seconds (or fifths) of the queso dip or barbecue meatballs.  Using a variety of colorful vegetables - and chopping them very small so no one veggie dominates a particular slice of the pizza - draws attention to this appetizer.

Ingredients for "Sauce"

2 tubes crescent rolls

8 oz low-fat cream cheese [or to taste]

4 oz low-fat sour cream [or to taste]

bottled ranch dressing [or powdered ranch dressing mix]

1/4 cup salsa [optional]

grated parmesan [optional]

seasonings [garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne, smoked

paprika etc.]

Ingredients for Toppings

green onions

broccoli

carrots

red onion

radishes

peppers [red, green, yellow, or orange]

shredded Mexican cheese [optional]

Directions

1) Put cream cheese in mixing bowl and allow to soften slightly.

2) Unroll crescent rolls and spread onto baking sheet.  Distribute as evenly as possible and seal all seams.

3) Bake crescent rolls according to package directions.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely or until just slightly warm.

4) Add sour cream and ranch (and optional salsa) to cream cheese in several increments.  Mix thoroughly each time until desired consistency is reached (should be spreadable but not runny). 

5) Mix in optional parmsean and seasonings.  Evenly spread cheese mixture over crescent rolls.

6) Finely chop vegetables into smaller-than-bite-size pieces.  Toss together to mix well.

7) Scatter chopped vegetables over cheese mixture.  Top with shredded cheese (optional).  Gently press toppings to ensure they stay in place.

8) Cut pizza into pieces of desired size.  Refrigerate until serving.

Notes: None.

Kid Participation:

* Seal crescent roll seams

* Mix sauce ingredients together

* Spread sauce over crescent rolls

* Add toppings to pizza