Broccoli Tater Tots

By Laura Fuentes Updated Jan 21, 2025

4.95 from 35 votes

Recipe

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It's probably safe to say that broccoli isn't a kid favorite food...but tater tots are! This simple Broccoli Tater Tots Recipe is sure to be a winner.

This simple recipe for broccoli tater tots is sure to become a regular in your lunchbox rotation.

Baked Broccoli Tots

When it comes to getting kids to eat outside their comfort zone, putting the food in a fun familiar form can be the ticket to success. These beloved broccoli tater tots can mean the difference between a child getting vegetables that day, and them skipping yet another plate of the “green stuff”.

This recipe includes familiar flavors in a bite size tot. Much less intimidating than an entire broccoli floret! Bonus for moms: these tots are super easy to make, proving that kid-friendly meals don’t have to be complicated or made with processed ingredients!

If you are struggling to add more veggies to the lunchbox, recipes like these tots are a great way to turn “the awful green” into fun bites that kids actually eat!

Ingredients

How do you turn broccoli into a appealing veggie kids actually eat? With tasty ingredients they love! Here’s what you need:

Italian seasoning: or your favorite seasoning.
Potatoes: I use Russet potatoes, but any potatoes work.
Broccoli: fresh or frozen; if using frozen, thaw it first.
Parmesan cheese: holds all the ingredients while making these tots super cheesy!

How to Make Broccoli Tots

I’m all about easy recipes and these broccoli tater tots are not the exception. Check out the simple steps and you’ll know what I’m talking about:

Prep the oven
Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Do not use wax paper or the cheese will melt onto the wax.
Form the mix
Pulse the broccoli fin the food processor until it resembles rice. Add the semi-cooked potatoes, parmesan cheese, and seasoning. Combine until breaking up the potatoes.
Shape the tots
I shape these broccoli tater tots with my hands and roll each one in Parmesan.
Bake
In the oven they go for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
To pack for school
Allow the tots to cool down to room temperature before placing them in a compartment of the lunchbox. Leftovers last 3 days in the fridge.

Check out how easy they are to make in this quick video:

Broccoli Tots Packing Tips

For delicious broccoli tater tots that remain crispily cheesy until lunch time, follow these packing tips:

Allow them to cool down
If you pack the tater tots still warm, they’ll release steam and get soggy. Allow them to cool down to room temperature before packing them in the lunchbok or any container.

Pack them separately
Pack the tots in its own lunchbox compartment to keep them from absorbing the moisture from veggies, fruits, and other wet ingredients.

More Healthy Lunchbox Ideas

Building lunchboxes with a variety of ingredients and a generous amount of veggies is not complicated when you have recipes like these tots. Another nutritious (and green) lunches kids actually eat are broccoli nuggets, veggie nuggets, and cheesy spinach balls.

More fun lunches my kids love are fruit and veggie stoplight bento, these delish zucchini pizza bites, and this spinach lunch wrap packed with tons of flavor and nutrition!

Broccoli Tater Tots

Servings: 60 tots

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 12

Total Time: 27

It's probably safe to say that broccoli isn't a kid favorite food…but tater tots are! This simple Broccoli Tater Tots Recipe is sure to be a winner.

4.95 from 35 votes

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Ingredients

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups raw broccoli, chopped
2 cups parmesan cheese, divided
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Instructions

Prep:

Preheat oven to 425F, place oven rack in the middle of the oven, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Boil, steam, or microwave the potatoes to the point where a fork punctures through but they are too tough to eat -about 10 minutes in boiling water, 5-6 in the microwave. Drain the potatoes and set them aside.

Combine:

In a food processor, pulse the broccoli florets until it resembles rice. Add the semi-cooked potatoes, 1 ½ cups of the parmesan cheese, and seasoning, pulse to combine, and break up the potatoes.
With a spatula, fold the ingredients together to combine, making sure no large pieces of potatoes were left behind.

Shape the tots:

With your hands, begin forming small balls -smaller than meatballs, larger than traditional tater tots.
Roll each ball in parmesan cheese and place on the lined baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining mixture.