Broccoli Cheddar Tots

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Broccoli Cheddar Tots are as much fun to eat as they are to make. Much like a tater tot, they're crispy on the outside, soft in the center and easy to eat with one hand. I originally thought I'd be making these for Benjamin but they're a huge hit with little kids and grown-ups alike. The mixture of broccoli and cheddar feels like your getting your veggies while also enjoying your cheese, plus, they're portable! I make a double batch and freeze half to serve as an appetizer, snack, or side dish. 

Recipe Ingredients

The main ingredients for these Broccoli Cheddar Tots are not surprisingly broccoli and cheddar. We opted for a sharp cheddar but stayed away from an extra aged or extra sharp cheddar but you can use whatever you have at home.

• Broccoli - you can use fresh or frozen broccoli.  
• Eggs
• Garlic cloves - if you don’t have fresh garlic cloves, you can substitute for ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.
• Flour - I’m using all-purpose flour but you can also use whole-wheat flour.
• Cheddar cheese - if you don’t have cheddar cheese, you can also use Swiss, Gruyere or Pepper Jack. 
• Bread crumbs - you can use plain, flavored with Italian seasoning, or panko-style bread crumbs. I opted for panko bread crumbs because they make for a lighter, fluffier tot. 
• All seasoning spice blend and salt. I use the Kirkland (Costco) No-Salt Seasoning Blend all the time then add salt since we try to be lower-sodium in our house. You can skip the seasoning all together if it’s for a baby/toddler or add more to your liking. These also are good with dried thyme or rosemary.

Cheese substitutes: If you don’t like cheddar cheese or don’t have enough, you can also use a combination of cheese such as mozzarella and parmesan or mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese. We prefer to grate our own cheese but you can also buy pre-shredded cheese for these and it won’t impact the texture or consistency of the tots because you won’t be making a cheese sauce out of them.

Favorite Dips for Broccoli Cheddar Tots

I love pairing these tots with a tomato-based dip, such as marinara sauce. You can use store brand or saute onions and garlic in olive oil and sauteed with tomatoes. Blend together and add basil and salt.

Another favorite dipping sauce is aioli. You can use mayonnaise or if you want to make it a little lighter, use greek yogurt. I mix it with a little garlic powder and finely chopped parsley.

And of course, there's always ketchup.

Freezing and Thawing

You can thaw the broccoli tots in the fridge overnight or for several hours at room temperature, or you can bake them straight from frozen. I prefer to bake rather than microwave because the edges get a little crispy. Depending on whether it’s fully thawed or frozen, bake the tots in a 375F oven until hot, 3 to 8 minutes.

Baking Tots in Silicone

Souper Cubes are made from 100% food grade silicone and are naturally nonstick, which means you can skip any cooking spray or oil. Just scoop the mix directly into the 2T/1oz trays and press down lightly with a spoon.

How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Tots

Gather all your ingredients

Soften and chop your broccoli

I learned this trick from Amy from Yummy Toddler Food. Place your chopped broccoli in a bowl and then add hot water over for five minutes. Strain the water from the bowl and then place in a food processor to blend.

You should have 2 cups of finely chopped broccoli.

Combine your eggs, garlic, flour, and seasoning.

Add the cheese, breadcrumbs, and egg mixture to the broccoli.

Stir it all together.

Evenly divide between two 2 Tbsp Souper Cubes trays.

Bake until the tots are firm and lightly browned on the edges.

Let cool for 10 minutes then pop out of the trays and enjoy!