Baked Broccoli Cheese Tots

Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper, brushing it with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Boil or steam the broccoli for about 3 minutes until just tender, then drain well and let it cool.

• 300 g broccoli florets
• 1 tsp olive oil

✅ Done when: broccoli is bright green and tender when pierced with a knife

Finely chop the cooled broccoli with a knife, or pulse it a few times in a food processor. Wrap it in a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much water as you can.

• 300 g cooked broccoli

✅ Done when: broccoli is finely chopped and feels dry, not wet

In a bowl, mix the chopped broccoli with the egg, cheddar, breadcrumbs, onion and garlic powder until everything holds together when you press it with your hand.

• 300 g chopped broccoli
• 1 egg
• 60 g grated cheddar
• 50 g breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp chopped onion
• ¼ tsp garlic powder

✅ Done when: mixture clumps together and doesn't fall apart when pressed

Scoop a tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a small log or ball with your hands; repeat to make about 12 tots. Place them on the lined tray and brush lightly with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil.

• all of it broccoli mixture from step 3
• 2 tsp olive oil

✅ Done when: all the mixture is shaped into even tots on the tray

Bake the tots for 18–22 minutes, turning them halfway through, until golden brown and crisp outside and hot all the way through.

• all of it shaped tots from step 4

✅ Done when: tots are golden and crisp outside; internal temperature reaches 74°C/165°F

Let the tots cool completely, then pack them into an airtight container. They keep for 3 days in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer; if reheating from the fridge or freezer, reheat until steaming hot throughout, reaching 165°F/74°C, before serving.

• all of it baked tots from step 5

✅ Done when: tots are completely cool before sealing; if reheated, they reach 165°F/74°C throughout