Riced Broccoli Egg Bites (Vegetarian & Dairy Free)

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‘Tis the season for Spring cleaning in the kitchen. Helpful tips for keeping food fresh and making the most out of your pantry purchases. Plus include more produce on your plate with a riced broccoli egg bites recipe. Clean up the kitchen and meal prep a batch of broccoli muffins. #WorthIt!

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A well stocked pantry can be a game changer.

When it comes to preparing your own balanced and nutritious meals, having essential ingredients available in your kitchen can be the difference between a pleasant experience & a reason to skip home cooking altogether.

It’s not always possible. Running out of ingredients, last minute grocery trips, out of stock items & ingredient swaps are inevitable. With that, the pantry can quickly become crowded with staples, new and old products and even multiples of the same foods.

Move it from your pantry to plate

Since it is the season of Spring Cleaning, this month’s Recipe Redux theme is tackling the pantry. Encouraging members to create recipes using ingredients that are already in our refrigerator and pantry.

This theme comes at the perfect time, with the Passover holiday approaching, now is the time to make room in the pantry. Even if you’re not celebrating, having an annual tradition of clearing out the pantry of any expired or unloved foods is a good habit to start.

Creative ways to reduce food waste at home

To maximize the use of your pantry items & kitchen staples, pay attention to these details on foods you purchase.

Storage information

Is the food safe to keep in the pantry or does it need refrigeration? Does that change after it’s opened?

Read the product’s label to find out the storage details. This may vary among brands. Keep in mind that some items may be shelf stable, but they’ll last better under refrigeration (looking at you ketchup). The size of the container you purchase versus the amount you plan to use may also be a factor. Like with soy sauce. Some produce should ripen on the counter before it’s put in the fridge.

Mark the date

Check for the “Best By” and “Use By” dates on labels. This provides you details of how long the product will last (both in quality and freshness) in your kitchen.

Time frame

Once you pop the lid off a jar, things can change. Some foods state that they should be “used within x days of opening” on the packaging. Keep a permanent marker & masking tape in the kitchen to help you easily label things with their open date.

Grocery list

Keep a running list of the items you finish to avoid accidentally buying duplicates. Shop with a plan or at least an idea of how you’ll use things.

Try be be realistic on whether you’ll finish the foods within their time frame. If you buy too much of something, offer the extras to a friend. You could also share with a neighbor or post it on your local Buy Nothing‘s Facebook group.

Be selective with what you put in the cart

Know the options of what you’re buying. Pre-cut and ready to use produce has a shorter shelf life than their whole counterparts. Processed cruciferous vegetables—including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and Brussel sprouts—are best used within a few days of purchase and quickly once the seal of the container is broken. Better to use up the entire bag now, than toss half an empty bag (with a strong and unpleasant odor!) a few days later.

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Ingredients

You’ll need a few staples from the pantry & refrigerator, plus some fresh produce to make these broccoli egg muffins:

• broccoli – raw & riced; Look for it in the prepared produce section of your grocery store or make it yourself
• scallions – slice both the green and white portions
• shredded carrots – can be store bought or shred it yourself with a julienne Y-peeler, run a knife through it to chop into shorter strands
• flaxseed meal
• all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt
• nutritional yeast – to mix into the batter and sprinkle on top
• eggs
• olive oil
• cooking spray – to coat the muffin tins; could substitute with baking cups

How to make riced broccoli

As the name suggests, this is broccoli minced into tiny pieces that resemble grains of rice. Just like riced cauliflower, it’s available in many grocery stores. Look for it in the refrigerated or freezer sections.

You can also make it yourself at home, by pulsing broccoli (using the stem and/or florets) in a small food processor or finely chopping with a knife, into small pieces that resemble grains of rice.

This broccoli egg bites recipe uses the stalks, but you can turn the entire head of broccoli into “rice” for this dish too.

Leftover vegetable “rice”

Turning whole vegetables into small rice size pieces also increased the food’s surface area. This makes it more susceptible to going bad in the refrigerator. Luckily there are many different ways of using riced vegetables.

• Throw a few scoops into a smoothie
• bake with it to make these savory broccoli & cheddar cheese bites or vegan buffalo cauliflower bites
• Toss into salads
• Freeze it – large amounts should be frozen on a lined sheet pan before transferring to a bag or container. Smaller amounts can be frozen flat inside a bag. Be careful not to overstuff your container, otherwise this “rice” can freeze into one large clump.

How to make broccoli egg bites

Place the vegetables and dry ingredients into a large bowl. Stir together.

Add in the eggs and oil. Mix together until well combined.

Spray 12 mini muffins tin with cooking spray. Divide the batter evenly, filling each well with approximately 1½ tablespoons.

Sprinkle additional nutritional yeast over the top of each muffin. Bake in a 375°F preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the eggs are set and the tops are golden.

Allow them to cool slightly before removing from pan. If necessary, run a toothpick around edges to help release them.

Pin for Later

Broccoli Egg Bites Recipe

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This post was originally published in 2017 and has been revamped and updated in July 2023.