Roasted Breaded Broccoli

Breaded Broccoli that is baked instead of fried, but just as crispy and delicious! This is an easy side dish recipe – skip those plain broccoli florets and coat them in an easy bread crumb coating and everyone will want a second helping.

Unfortunately, we are coming to the end of the season of one of my favourite vegetables, yes Broccoli. Usually, at Christmas or Easter, it is very common to deep fry breaded vegetables, dipped first in beaten eggs, and then coated in breaded crumbs.

My eldest daughter has a really hard time digesting anything fried so I rarely if ever deep fry anything. Since broccoli is very common in our house, and the garden produces broccoli a-plenty in the winter, I thought I would try baking breaded broccoli rather than deep-frying it.

Sometimes, with deep-frying, leftovers tend to become soggy, they lose their crunchiness, and no one will eat them! There’s no problem with baking, they bake up pretty crunchy and remained crunchy, not that there were many leftovers.

I am sure if it worked with Broccoli it would work with most vegetables that are deep-fried. Next on my list, is one of our favourites, they are starting to come into season right about now and they are artichokes.

But, first, we have easy broccoli roasted in the oven until the veggies are tender and the coating is hot and crispy. Sometimes vegetables can be just a little bit boring, and these Baked Breaded Broccoli Bites are a nice change.

Ingredients

• Fresh broccoli florets
• Fresh lemon juice
• Bread crumbs 
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt
• Dried parsley
• Large eggs
• Olive oil

Recipe Steps

Preheat the oven to 350° (180° celsius) and lightly grease a small to medium-sized baking sheet.

In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water cook the broccoli until tender but firm (not mushy).

Drain and rinse the broccoli under cold water (drain well) then squeeze lemon juice over the top. Lightly toss them to flavor with the juice. 

Beat the eggs in a small bowl with the cheese. In a separate small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and parsley.

Roll the florets in the egg mixture first and then coat them in the breadcrumbs. Place the breaded florets on the prepared pan.

Drizzle olive oil over the top.

Bake the broccoli for 20 to 30 minutes. I like to turn the heat up in the last five minutes so the coating gets a little brown on top.

Main Dish Ideas

Now, what to serve with baked broccoli? Here are some ideas you should try:

• Simple Italian Meatballs are juicy, tender, and easy to make.
• You can’t go wrong with Meatloaf for a great comfort food dinner.
• Italian Roast Beef is great for a weekend meal.
• Or try my Sheet Pan Pork Loin!

If you’re tired of the same old vegetable side dishes, this breaded broccoli is a nice change. Crispy but not fried in a bunch of oil and that breadcrumb coating makes it even easier to eat. Enjoy!

More Veggie Side Dish Recipes

• Zucchini Patties
• Pan-Fried Green Beans with Bacon
• Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
• Easy Ratatouille

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Baked Breaded Broccoli

Baked Breaded Broccoli, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and spices make this recipe just as delicious as deep fried but so much more healthier.

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Course Antipasti

Cuisine American/Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 134kcal

Author Rosemary Molloy

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ head large broccoli (broken into large florets)
• ▢ ½ fresh lemon
• ▢ ½ cup bread crumbs
• ▢ 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh minced)
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 350° (180° celsius). Lightly grease a small to medium baking pan or cookie sheet.
• In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water cook the broccoli until tender but firm (not mushy) (al dente)
• Drain and rinse the broccoli under cold water (drain well) then sprinkle with the juice of ½ a lemon and toss gently.
• In a small bowl beat the eggs add the parmesan cheese and mix well. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs and parsley.
• First roll the florets in the egg mixture then roll in the breadcrumb mixture press gently to cover well. Place them in the prepared baking pan, sprinkle with a little salt and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes. (I turned the heat up at the end, last 5 minutes just to brown a bit on top). Enjoy!

Notes

Of course it is always better to eat this breaded baked broccoli the day it is made but if you do have leftovers then be sure to refrigerate in an airtight container. It will keep for up to 2-3 days. Re-heat in a low oven or microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 324mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 634IU | Vitamin C: 75mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 2mg

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Updated from January 27, 2015.