Recipe of the Day: Cheesy Broccoli Tots!

Are you a tater tot lover? Are you a lover of broccoli and looking for new ways to eat that cruciferous veg? Here is a fun twist by using broccoli and making it a bit cheesy. I sharp cheddar cheese – but you could use whatever kind of cheese you like. You could even do a mix of cheddar cheeses, using white cheddar and regular cheddar. I just had an idea – why not use pepper jack? That sounds delicious!  Enjoy!

Could this get any easier? Looks good even in the prep stage!
Could this get any easier? Looks good even in the prep stage!

Cheesy Broccoli Tots
Yield: 22-24 mini tots

Ingredients
•    1 bunch of broccoli, cut into equal sized florets (around 3-4 cups)
•    1 cup low fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
•    1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
•    1/2 cup breadcrumbs
•    1 egg & 2 egg whites
•    salt and pepper

Directions
1.    Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2.    Pour 1 inch of water into a saucepan; bring to a boil.  Place the broccoli into the boiling water, cover, and reduce the heat to medium.  Cook the broccoli for 5-6 minutes, or until it can easily be pierced by a fork.  Drain the broccoli and set aside to cool slightly.
3.    Lay the broccoli out onto paper towels and cover with more paper towels,  Press down firmly on the broccoli to absorb as much moisture as you can.  Another method is to put the broccoli in the center of a dish towel and ring out the water. Finely chop the broccoli.
4.    In a large bowl, combine combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.  Stir everything together until well mixed.  Fill each muffin cup in a mini muffin tin to the top, pushing down on the filling with your spoon so it’s nice and compacted.
5.    Bake for 18-20 minutes in preheated oven. The top will be starting to golden. To easily remove from the pan (without scratching it to death), run a plastic knife around the edges of each tot and they should come out easier.

Notes
•    If they seem to be falling apart when you take them out of the pan you can (1) put them back into the oven to cook for a few minutes longer so they are a bit crisper or (2) let them sit in the pan for a few minutes to let the insides firm up a bit before removing them from the pan.  You have to be ginger with them if they’re sticking a little to the pan!
•    The sharp cheddar can be substituted with whatever cheese you have on hand.

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