Got broccoli? I really, really like broccoli. As a kid, I don’t think I ever tasted broccoli, except maybe in a broccoli, rice, and cheese casserole, and even then that may have been after I grew up and started cooking on my own.
My last blog post was about friendship and this recipe comes from another of my God-given friends. Sue and I met when I was 21 years old, a young wife and mother of a 2-week old baby. We moved into the house next door to Sue, her husband Bill and their 3-year-old son, Warren.
Sue and I quickly became friends over the garden fence and migrated to her kitchen where we spent countless hours pouring over recipes, cookbooks and the latest news of the neighborhood. She taught me how to can green beans (and I ruined her canner in the process). Canning pickles were next and I am sure cooking broccoli was in there somewhere!
Thousands of miles have separated us for many years. But a phone call, an email, or a recipe, and we are in sync as if we have never been apart!
Last fall she sent me this recipe. She wrote a quick message saying she thinks they are “super” and even Bill liked them, and broccoli isn’t his favorite.
Well, broccoli is my favorite but this recipe settled near the bottom of a pile on my desk. Thanksgiving came and went. December was a blur. January settled in cold and rainy. We needed something “special” to perk up a mid-week dinner. Broccoli cheese patties to the rescue!
These patties are quick and easy to make. They are baked in the oven and while the recipe calls for sharp cheddar cheese, a hot pepper jack will take the flavor over the top!
Next time I make them I will include an aioli sauce and I really can’t wait! These little patties are crisp on the outside and yummy, creamy, warm and tender on the inside.
For 39 years I have called Sue my “walking book of knowledge.” She has a home economics degree, a very quick wit and a heart of gold. She makes me laugh and sometimes we cry. Who could ask for anything more in a friend?
I love you Sue and keep the recipes coming!
Happy Baking!
~Catherine
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ onion, chopped finely
- 1 (12 ounce) bag frozen broccoli -- defrosted
- ¾ cups breadcrumbs
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- In a small frying pan melt butter on medium heat. Saute' the onions and garlic in the butter until translucent.
- Place defrosted broccoli in a strainer for 30 minutes (longer if still frozen) in the sink. Blot well and chop the broccoli into smaller pieces.
- Beat eggs in a mixing bowl. Add breadcrumbs, cheeses, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add broccoli and onion mixture. Mix well.
- On a cookie sheet use the 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and grease the cookie sheet. Form patties, they are about ½ cup each. (A large scoop works well.) Press together well.
- Bake at 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes on one side and then turn them over. Bake another 15 minutes or until browned and crispy around the edges.
- Serve with a favorite sauce or aioli.