Roasted Broccoli
One of our favorite vegetables to have alongside dinner is roasted broccoli. Luckily, it is a vegetable that we can all agree on.
I’ve been roasting broccoli for a while, but lately I have been thinking about trying to be greener in the kitchen. I started to think about how much energy it takes to heat the oven up on regular basis for roasting broccoli.
It isn’t such a big deal if I am cooking other things, like our favorite Easy Honey Mustard Baked Chicken, but if we are having something cooked stovetop or a leftover main dish it does seem a little wasteful.
I decided to start experimenting with using our toaster oven to roast broccoli. It is a much smaller space so logic tells me that it takes less energy to preheat and maintain the cooking temperature. I thought that it also might possibly cook faster in a more enclosed space.
Our toaster oven has several settings – toast, bake, roast, and defrost to name a few. On the roast setting, I can even select the temperature that I would like to use. Perfect! Follow these quick tips for roasting broccoli, with my notes about how to do so in a toaster oven.
I have also tried roasting potatoes, cauliflower, asparagus, and onions in the toaster oven and that all works great, too!
Additionally, here are a few fun ways to flavor your roasted broccoli. I always start by lightly tossing the broccoli in extra virgin olive oil and seasoning it with salt and pepper, but you can make things a little more exciting with a few simple changes or additions.
- Drizzle the roasted broccoli with balsamic vinegar
- Substitute salt and pepper with lemon pepper seasoning
- Sprinkle the roasted broccoli with freshly grated parmesan cheese
- For an Asian twist, drizzle the broccoli with soy sauce and a little sesame oil
Roasted Broccoli
Ingredients:
1 pound broccoli florets
1 – 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium sized bowl, combine the broccoli and olive oil. Stir to coat.
On the prepared baking sheet, spread the broccoli in a single layer. Sprinkle, according to your taste preferences, with salt and pepper.
Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the broccoli is cooked and browned.
If desired, add any additional ingredients (such as fresh parmesan), toss to coat and serve immediately.
Notes:
If using a toaster oven you will likely have to cook a smaller amount of broccoli. We have a small family, so that is no problem for us. We can easily cook enough for one meal in a toaster oven.
I have a small baking sheet that came with the toaster oven that is the perfect size for roasting on. I also cook the broccoli for closer to 10 – 15 minutes, rather than 15 – 20 minutes.
