Yes, I am jumping on the broccoli fritter bandwagon! Come along for the ride as I share this recipe for Cheesy Oven Baked Broccoli Fritters.
Have you ever had roasted broccoli?
If you have, you know that roasting this cruciferous vegetable will bring out a nutty flavor that is absolutely delicious. Yes, just a simple roasting is enough to have all of your family, even the vegetable haters, wanting more.
Come to think of it, this recipe for oven-roasted Brussel sprouts also provides an unbelievable taste transformation, also achieved by simply roasting.
I would also like to inform you that this very humble-looking vegetable is a nutritional powerhouse for nutrients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin K, iron, and potassium.
Not to mention the fact that a mere 1 cup will provide you with only 30 calories and a healthy 2.3 grams of fiber.
Needless to say, you will obtain the most nutrition from your broccoli by quickly steaming it. That being said, this recipe for these broccoli patties will provide you with an excellent alternative for the picky eaters in your family.
If you have 45 minutes to spare, I’ll show you how it is done!
How to make broccoli fritters
As you can well imagine, it all starts with some broccoli.
Cut your broccoli into 1-inch florets; be sure to include the stalks. They need to be peeled and chopped up. It would be best if you had about 3 cups worth, which is roughly one medium head of fresh broccoli. In a pinch, you could also use frozen.
Steam the broccoli for about 4-5 minutes. We are looking for tenderness, no mushiness.
Remove the pot from the heat, drain and set it aside to cool off.
While the broccoli is steaming, chop up the onions and mince the garlic.
Over medium heat, saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and saute for another minute or so.
Be careful not to burn the garlic, as this will give your final product a bitter aftertaste. Remove from heat and allow to cool off.
You can grate the cheeses while you wait for the broccoli and the cooked onions to cool off.
You will notice that I like to use the coarse sides of my box grater for my cheeses. Today, I used a combination of caciocavallo and pecorino romano cheese.
So, at this point, everything should be cooled off.
Add the steamed broccoli in this same pan you sauteed the onion and with a potato masher, mash the broccoli. I like to use a masher because I prefer to have tiny broccoli pieces when eating my broccoli fritters. As a bonus, there is one less appliance to wash 😉
Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix everything.
I will use my largest scooper to make 6 individual portions, which are then flattened to a ½ inch thickness and are 3-inches in diameter. You can make these “broccoli pancakes” smaller or thinner; make sure you adjust the roasting time.
Oven roast for about 12-15 minutes per side or until well colored and crispy looking.
Congratulations!
You have just made the perfect broccoli side dish!
I love to serve them with a generous squeeze of lemon juice. This garlic yogurt sauce also works well with these healthy broccoli fritters.
Recipe inspiration
A few years ago, I came across this recipe on Deb Perelman’s website Smitten Kitchen. Her recipe inspired me to come up with this fritter recipe.
Here are some of the modifications I made: I oven-baked instead of frying, added another type of cheese, substituted breadcrumbs for the flour and increased the number of eggs in the recipe.
Feel free to adapt this broccoli fritter recipe and make it your own. I would love to hear about it! I almost forgot to tell you; this recipe also works great with cauliflower or a mixture of cauliflower and broccoli.
These broccoli fritters are great as an appetizer, a quick snack, or a side dish. Believe me when I tell you, these broccoli fritters will quickly disappear!
Do you have any other simple broccoli recipes? I would love to hear about them!
Enjoy 🙂
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
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Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this recipe for broccoli patties, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Cheesy Oven Baked Broccoli Fritters
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Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups broccoli chopped, steamed and drained
- ½ cup breadcrumbs can also use panko
- ⅓ cup pecorino romano cheese or Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ cup caciocavallo cheese grated
- 2 eggs room temperature, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon parsley fresh minced
- salt and pepper to taste to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat.
- Add the onions and saute until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and saute for another minute or so (be careful not to overcook the garlic).
- Set aside to cool.
- In the same pan (after pan has cooled down) add the steamed broccoli and mash with a potato masher or a fork.
- Add the breadcrumbs, cheeses, lightly beaten eggs and parsley.
- Combine and mix together.
- Form into 3-inch patties (½ inch thick) and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
- Oven roast for about 15 minutes.
- Turn the fritters over and roast for another 10 minutes, or until crispy and golden colored.
- Serve with lemon wedges or your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Dan
First made these about 6 months ago. Delicious. Misplaced the recipe and just found it now. 10pm now and I’m prepping all the ingredients so I can just pop them in the oven tomorrow night.
Recipe save and going on heavy rotation.
Thank you!
Maria
So thrilled to read this! Thanks for taking the time to comment, appreciate it Dan!
Kathleen
Super great low carb side.
Maria
Thanks so much Kathleen. Appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Stacy
Another winner! I subbed out cauliflower for the broccoli and used the romano for both cheeses, because that is what I had on hand, and used almond flour (as suggested by another reader) 1:1 instead of bread crumbs due to a gluten sensitivity issue in one of my kiddos, and it worked out fabulously! Breakfast of champions at our house. 🙂
Maria
What a great way to start the day! Love it!!! Thanks so much for sharing Stacy, truly appreciate it ♥
Peg
Do you know if Almond flour can be successfully substituted for the breadcrumbs, and if so, in an equal amount? ~ Grazie mille.
Maria
To be honest, I’m not sure Peg. I did ask one of my friends who follows a strict GF diet, she recommends Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1 GF flour. She says it works 99% of the time in recipes. Hope that helps. Would love to hear about the results if you do decide to try it. Great question. Thanks for stopping by.
Terry
Hi, This recipe sounds awesome, but I have one question, you said the fritters could be frozen. How do you recomend thawing and reheating them?
Maria
Hi Terry! I will usually place the frozen broccoli fritters on a baking sheet in a preheated oven (usually 350). When they are heated through, they are done. Great question! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Tiffany
Oven-roasted anything isn’t a hard sell over here. These look fantastic. My daughter loves broccoli straight up, which I find admirable for a two-year-old. I bet she’d adore these, too.
Maria
Thanks Tiffany! So wonderful to hear your daughter loves broccoli… hopefully she’ll also like these broccoli fritters. Appreciate you taking the time to comment 🙂
Mary Frances
Now this is a must try, even though my hubby is Italian he does not care for Broccoli but i love it 🙂 He may very well love this recipe and i am indeed going to make it 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing hugs to you 🙂
Maria
I find that roasting broccoli alters the taste, in a good way 🙂 Hope you and your hubby will enjoy it. Appreciate your comment. Have a wonderful week ♥
Maria
I have all these ingredients at home!!!
Love that!! 🙂
Maria
I agree, that is a great feeling!!! Thanks for dropping by Maria 🙂
Karen (Back Road Journal)
Your fritters sound delicious…I like the way you adapted the recipe to be baked instead of fried.
Maria
Thanks so much Karen! Hope you get a chance to try them. Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Barbarito-Levitt Paula
A wonderful recipe including one of my favorite cheeses – caciocavollo! The combination of flavors in these broccoli delights must make for terribly satisfying eating. Serve with a side salad and you have a vegetarian dinner.
Maria
Your comments always bring a smile to my face; we seem to be on the same page. Thank you Paula.