Customizable Broccoli Cheese Bites

Stacey here! I've come across a great recipe for broccoli cheese bites at Staceysnacksonline.com. (It's not me, I swear. Just a coincidence on the same name!) My son is at an age where I'm introducing finger foods, so I figured I'd give these a try as they looked simple enough for a beginner chef like me! While making them I realized you could use this recipe for other vegetables, and you can add in loads as well! I think next time I will try it with cauliflower, and maybe add some onion in too. For now though, I will share some photos, and of course the recipe! I modified it for myself to make 12 patties, rather than using the recipe on the website (it looked like it would make loads of them, and I didn't need that many!).EDIT: I do need that many, must make again!

Broccoli Cheese Bites

1 fresh head of broccoli, chopped small and boiled or steamed to tender
1/3 to 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs (I just tossed a piece of toast in the blender and got more than enough)
1 egg
2/3 cup of cheddar cheese (can use whatever cheese you'd like!)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 190c/375f. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, either by hand or with a fork. Form small patties in your hands, and then place onto the parchment paper. I topped mine with a bit more grated cheese, as I loooooooove some cheese. :)

Bake for about 25 minutes, turning them over after the first 15 minutes. They should end up looking something like this:

Delicious! When I opened the over door, I started drooling. They made the kitchen smell so good! I couldn't resist grabbing one before they cooled and cutting it open.

Crunchy from the cheese on the outside, and gooey on the inside. You can still taste the broccoli, but it's not overpowering so if you have kids who aren't so keen on the green, you should give this a try! I gave one to my 8 month old for dinner and he couldn't get enough! I was expecting him to just have a small nibble on the patty, but he ate the whole thing.

Small word of warning: They are addictive! Before I knew it I had already wolfed down five of them!