Broccoli & Cheese Nuggets Recipe

by Laura Fuentes

Feb 19, 2015

4.93 from 26 votes

Broccoli nuggets make an awesome school or office lunch! gluten free, dairy free versions too.

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Nuggets just got better. Broccoli now has a new fun way of appearing in your dinner plates and lunchboxes other than steamed. This Broccoli and Cheese Nuggets Recipe will revolutionize the way you serve broccoli at your house.

broccoli nuggets in a lunch container with ketchup

“When in doubt, make nuggets” was my friend Anne’s advice when I asked her how else I could make veggies appealing to my kids. It seemed easy enough, right? But how exactly do you turn things like broccoli into a nugget?

I’ve seen veggie nuggets in the freezer isle at Whole Foods but at $6 for a small bag it seemed expensive. Plus, one of the brands had soy (an ingredient I avoid in our home) and most had gluten as well. For a few weeks, I tinkered with the broccoli mixture until it held together well. The result was a kid approved recipe made with easy to find ingredients.

It’s tinkering like this that inspired me to create the Family KickStart Program. My 30-day plan created specifically for busy families who want to eat clean, whole foods for 30 days!

Family KickStart includes over 50 recipes that are kid-friendly, gluten free, soy free and include zero processed foods. Not only will you find awesome recipes kids love reimagined in a way that is more nutritious, you’ll also receive the meal plans and grocery lists you need to make the 30 days a complete success! Learn more about the Family KickStart Program here.

ingredients of broccoli nuggets: cheese, eggs, broccoli, bread crumbs and spices

In the dozens of emails I receive daily, many parents ask for help to feed their kids more veggies. I always say that you have to try the same vegetable in many different ways. Vegetables have a crunchy texture that changes greatly depending on how you cook them. Some even smell different, like broccoli and cauliflower.

If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop the broccoli by hand, in a blender, or in one of those mini choppers. I’m a one-bowl-and-done kind of gal so I opted for the food processor.

broccoli nugget ingredients inside the food processor

While my daughter now loves steamed broccoli, that wasn’t always the case. My boys still refuse to eat broccoli, but one of them will eat these nuggets without a fuss. Maybe it’s because I call them Shrek Nuggets, but either way, he tolerates them.

Sure, 4-6 nuggets might not be as much broccoli as we’d like our kids to eat; but the reality is that it’s better than no broccoli and every little bit of veggies count towards a serving.

If you can roll out meatballs, you can make these nuggets. Check out how easy they are to make in this video.

If you think that nuggets are just for kids, you are mistaken. I’ve eaten my share of nuggets in the office packed for lunch. You can either pack them at room temperature in a lunchbox or heated inside a thermos.

small lunch container of broccoli nuggets, apple slices and almonds

You’ll find the recipe for the classic version, a gluten free, and a dairy free version. It’s crucial that you season these nuggets because without seasoning, they are pretty bland.

What are some interesting ways you serve up vegetables at your house?