This Broccoli Cheddar Cauliflower Tator Tots recipe is sure to make your toddlers eat their vegetables. They are delicious and a sneaky way to pack a few more vegetables into the diets of your kids. They are easy to make and you could double or triple the recipe to make extra to store in the freezer.
These would be great next to healthy meatballs, sheet pan fajitas, or slow cooker whole chicken – three dinners that even my pickiest eaters gobble up! Need another great side? Make my Broccoli Rice Casserole!
So with Piper being in full on THREENAGER mode (<—- totally a thing), I’ve been thinking a lot about how hard it is to parent toddlers and make sure they have everything they need. You guys. It’s a lot! I know, I’m preaching to the choir. I think that a sane person could go crazy if they start to think about all the decisions that go into parenting. There are so many different choices to make and lots of times, both choices (or ALL the choices!!) make sense, which makes it even harder.
It’s also tricky to make sure that those constantly moving tornados get all the fruits and vegetables they need. I am a firm believer that kids should have some veggies on their plate at every dinner. In veggie form. We do lots of cut up peppers, baby carrots, and roasted broccoli. And when I say roasted broccoli, I mean like two pieces because that’s as big of a battle as I can handle. So I love that these Broccoli Cheddar Cauliflower Tator Tots let me sneak in a little more.
They start with steamed broccoli and cauliflower and then you throw in some egg, bread crumbs, cheese, and seasoning and you get a tasty little tot. These are easy to make but a little putsy, so I think it is definitely worth it to double or triple the batch and then freeze some. You could just take the raw tot, line a baking sheet with wax paper and stick them in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Take them out and put them into an air tight container and freeze for up to a month. When you are ready to make them, allow them to thaw and then stick them in the oven and bake.
Tips and tricks
- Make sure you squeeze the water out after steaming the vegetables, but don’t stress, a little liquid helps hold them together better.
- You can definitely mix these up by switching out the cheeses or the spices for different flavors.
- These use just about a fourth of a broccoli head and a fourth of a cauliflower head, so you will definitely want to double or triple the recipe. Then roast the rest of your veggies to serve with these.
Broccoli Cheddar Cauliflower Tator Tot Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup cauliflower cut into small pieces
- 1 cup broccoli cut into small pieces
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Steam the broccoli and cauliflower for 10 minutes or until tender.
- Using a clean kitchen towel, squeeze out the excess water in the vegetables. In a food processor, pulse the cauliflower and broccoli.
- In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower, broccoli, egg, cheeses, and seasonings.
- Working with about a tablespoon and a half of batter at a time, roll into a tot shape. Place the tots on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tots are golden brown, turning over once during the baking process.
- Serve with ketchup.
Notes
did you make this
Broccoli Cheddar Cauliflower Tator Tot Recipe
Other toddler friendly foods
Anna says
Wow. What an awesome idea Lisa. Just pinned it.
Gloria Cabeen says
Hi Lisa, This isn’t really a comment about soup! It’s about the fleece knight’s helmet that I’m making. My husband helped me size it down. I have to shorten the ear flap band because it’s too big to fit around the top of the hat. I also just sewed the chin strap with 1/2″ seam allowance and it seems awfully thin, plus nearly impossible to turn right side out. Your photo shows it looking much wider and thinner. Before I re-sew this and trim down all the seams, do you have any comments or suggestions?
Thanks,
Gloria
Gloria, I’m so sorry, I’m terribly late in responding to this comment. I’m having a hard time visualizing the problem you are having. If you are still working on it and want to send me photos, I can try to help! lisa (at) wineandglue (dot) com
April says
looks delish! <3
Donna says
Hi, Lisa
Thank you so much for the kids friendly recipe. It really sounds great. I was searching for few healthy dish ideas for my kids. Usually I prepare smoothies for my younger little princes. She really enjoy them.But your idea is perfect.Just saved it. I will try this soon :)
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