Potato, Broccoli and Cheese Croquettes

Sometimes, every once in a while, I will have a lazy day and binge-watch Food Network.  My favorite show is Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, because there is so much variety, and man… those people make some incredible-looking food, don’t they? 

So, as I sit there, pining over the food on the television, I whip out a notebook, and make notes on recipes to try.   I am not sure at which point I saw an episode on croquettes, but I ran across my notes the other day, and I couldn’t even remember what croquettes were… but it must have looked amazing for me to have written it down.  A few seconds research later, I found that a croquette is a small ball of chopped vegetables, meat or seafood, which has been rolled in breadcrumbs and fried. 

Umm… no wonder I thought it looked delicious. 

There were infinite possibilities on what I could do with a croquette: cheesy meatball croquettes, feta and spinach, brie and fig, basil, tomato and mozzarella… and those are just off the top of my head.  

In the end, I had broccoli in my fridge that I needed to use up, so I opted for potato, broccoli and cheese croquettes.  I ended up shaping them more like mini pancakes than balls, because I didn’t want to bust out the deep fryer, but feel free to modify this to a ball, if you feel so inclined. 

Potato, Broccoli and Cheese Croquettes

Makes 8 croquetes

• 1 cup broccoli florets, cut into small pieces 
• 1 cup potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 cups breadcrumbs (homemade is best) 
• 2 large eggs, separated 
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp pepper 
• oil for frying 

Fill a small pot with 1″ of water, and bring to a boil.  Place broccoli in vegetable steamer, place in pot, and cover with a lid.  Reduce heat to medium-low and steam for 10-15 minutes, or until broccoli is fork-tender.  (You can also boil the broccoli directly in the water, but steaming it helps preserve the nutrients… and let’s face it, this dish could use those nutrients.) 

Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a medium pot, and boil potatoes until soft.  Drain the potatoes, and transfer potatoes and broccoli into a large bowl.  Use a masher or electric mixer, and mix together.  Add in 3/4 cup breadcrumbs, eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.  Mix well, and form into small silver-dollar sized balls or pancakes.  Coat each croquette with remaining breadcrumbs, and set aside. 

Heat oil in a sturdy pan, over medium (to slightly medium-high) heat.  Ideally, you want it around a 6 out of 10.  Once warm, place croquettes in oil, and fry until golden brown, flip, and fry the other side until the other side is golden brown, about 3 minutes a side.  

These have a great flavor: creamy, cheesy, and salty, with a nice hint of broccoli.  You can get real creative with your dipping sauces, if you want some bolder flavors.  I personally am a huge fan of creamy sriracha sauce, but my husband was happily satisfied with ketchup and mustard.  

Enjoy!