Bennigan's Broccoli Poppers

By Addie

This recipe is one that I found on the internet. Bennigan's used to sell these delicious Broccoli Bites. I tend to dwell on things for years and it never occurred to me until the other day to google for the recipe. I found this posting and had to try them and they were really good. In fact, I made a small batch (to test the recipe) and the next day made a double batch. YUM!

My only recommendation is that if you double the recipe, double everything…especially the cheese. If the cheese is off then your bites will be dry and not cheesy. We loved these little morsels of heaven…ENJOY!

MY NOTES: I have made this and they're delicious!

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 6 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 6 ounces shredded Colby cheese
• 1 (16 oz.) box frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained and dried
• Diced, cooked bacon pieces (optional)
• 1/2 ounce diced yellow onion
• Finely diced red pepper to taste
• 1 ounce all-purpose flour
• Plain bread crumbs as needed

Preparation

Step 1

Drain thawed broccoli thoroughly by pressing through a strainer. Beat eggs in a mixing bowl with a whisk until well blended. Place all the ingredients into a plastic container, except the bread crumbs. Stir together with a spatula until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate mixture for about 1 hour. This will help to bind the mix making preparation much easier.

Heat about 4 cups oil in a fryer or deep pan for frying at 350ºF. Set up a shallow pan with bread crumbs. Scoop about 1/2 ounce portion of the broccoli mixture into the bread crumbs. Form each portion into a ball and coat it well. Place broccoli bites into the fry basket or frying pan. Make sure they do not stick together. Fry for one minute, then remove and place onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
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"If you've ever been to Bennigan's, you may have enjoyed this wonderful appetizer. We go there quite often for them. They're basically a blend of broccoli, cheeses, bacon, and onion, rolled in bread crumbs and deep-fried. They are then dipped in a special honey-mustard sauce. This is a copycat recipe from the website Recipe Goldmine and it's right on the money! They're very easy to make and if you want to WOW your party guests with something deliciously different, by gosh- this'll do it!"