I recently posed the question on twitter: “how does one describe broccoli kugel to non-Kosher eating folks?”
For someone like me, who grew up eating kosher, Jewish style foods, kugel is a no-brainer. But when you stop and think about it, try to determine how one can define kugel, it gets infinitely complicated. Is it a side dish? Maybe. Is it savory? Occasionally. A sweet dish? Can be. Something eaten on Shabbos (sabbath)? Often times. Is there one blanket definition of kugel? Sadly not. So while my Jewish readers will probably know exactly what a broccoli kugel is, it may be perplexing to my non-Jewish readers.
What exactly is a broccoli kugel, you may be asking yourself. Well, according to my helpful twitter followers, it’s a crustless quiche, it’s a broccoli souffle, it’s a savory broccoli pudding, uh, yuck. Obviously it’s difficult to define. Here’s what I can tell you. These are delicious, soft pillows of broccoli goodness. You can eat them as a healthy and delicious side dish at a meal, or as a snack when you don’t want to break the calirometer. Is that a word?
Regardless of their ability to be defined, these are delicious. Make them, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Broccoli Kugel Muffins:
By Miriam Pascal, Overtimecook.com
Ingredients:
1 lb frozen broccoli florets
1 small onion, diced and sauteed.
1/2 cup low fat mayonaise
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs OR pesach crumbs OR matzo meal
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder or 1 cube frozen garlic
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
bread crumbs or pesach crumbs, for sprinkling, optional
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line a muffin pan with paper muffin liners.
Boil broccoli in salted water until just tender. Drain.
In a large mixing bowl, mash broccoli with a potato masher. (You don’t want it totally mashed- leave some texture.)
Add remaining ingredients, stir will to combine.
Fill muffin pans almost to the top with broccoli mixture. If desired, sprinkle tops with additional bread crumbs.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned at the edges and set.
Enjoy!
Stay tuned for some exciting news…and as always, thanks for stopping by!
-Miriam
Hey, thanks, Miriam, these look awesome! And it was you who actually taught me to like broccoli:) Can’t wait to try ’em.
I love broccoli but I’ve never had them in a muffin and I have to say that these look pretty darn good!
Cool! They sounds wonderful – I’ve heard of kugel but never with broccoli, yum! Very unique and delicious sounding!
The kugel looks so delicious! All those kids who hate broccoli need to try this!
This is the second time I’ve heard of Kugel. The first time, embarassingly enough, was from the Disney TV show Wizards of Waverly Place, haha.
I just came across your site and I’m very impressed. This recipe looks great and I’d like to make it for our Purim Seudah – but for a lot of reasons – I need to do things in advance that freeze well. Do you think this will freeze well?
Thanks!
Thank you Maya! These should freeze nicely (might not be as good as when it is fresh, but should still be good). Make sure to wrap it well and reheat directly from the freezer.
Enjoy!
They are actually excellent Frozen. It taste just as good as the real thing maybe even better because they get firmer I always freezethem
Miriam,
Just came accross this recipe, maybe I will make it for Shabbos. I usually use chopped broccoli from Eden to avoid the extra step of mashing the broccoli. Works wonders in any broccoli or vegetable kugel, every time!
Let me know how you like it Tova! I like the pieces to be very small, but the chopped broccoli is a good idea!
how many muffins does this recipe make?
They came out delicious!!! I’ve tried many broccoli kugel recipes…. this one is a keeper! I loved the consistency of this kugel as well! Thanks for sharing!
So glad you liked it! Thanks for the feedback! 🙂 -M
I love this recipe, just used it to make kugel muffins. I tried to lighten it up a bit by using 1/4 lite mayo, 1/4 chobani plain yogurt, 1 egg + 1 egg white instead of 2. I added the regular amount of breadcrumbs. My consistency was not a “muffin” and each one fell apart 🙁 Where did I go wrong? Thank you!
The changes you made probably affected the texture. It’s hard to tell you what to fix without trying these with your changes, but it does sound like you might need extra breadcrumbs.
Can these be frozen in advance ?
Alix, I can’t say for sure, because I haven’t tried freezing it. If you do, please let me know how it works!
can this be made into a kugel instead of muffins?
It should be fine- make sure to adjust the baking time!
how big of a pan would it make and how much longer should i add to the baking time?
Those muffins are so so good!!!! Easy and so healthy!! An all time favorite. Keep those recipes coming!!!
Way too much salt! Had to throw them out…I would half it next time!
mine was also really salty but i’m thinking that i put too much salt in when i boiled the broccoli
This is exactly what Ive been looking for but I am going to make a kugel cos if I make muffins Im afraid some might go to waste, I made a dairy broccoli kugel for Shavuos but the broccoli was overcooked and mushy. Must I cook the broccoli before or can I just pour hot water on top and let the broccoli cook while it bakes? I love your site your recipes and your stories
I just made these for Rosh Hashana. Came out delicious!! Thanks again Miriam!
Miriam, have you ever made these into mini muffins? Having lots of guests for Succos and can’t decide what size to make them! Thanks!
Should be fine just adjust the baking time.
Hi I made these for shabbos, subbed wheat germ for half of the breadcrumbs, used egg whites only and 1/4 cup mayo. They came out delish! Very moist & tasty. Gonna try all wheat germ next time. Thanks for the inspiration!
hi would love to make them for purim as a side, how many muffins does one recipe yield?
I tripled this recipe, made it today for shavous .
My husband usually hates broccoli kugels bec off all the eggs and onion soup mix;
And he feels like it’s taking away from the actual broccoli, but he loved these!!!!! They are very light, and remain true to the broccoli taste. They look beautiful! Luuuuvvvv all your recipes- every single one is a hit !
How many muffins does this yield?
Made these for Shabbos. Followed all directions and they were great! Even my husband who doesn’t really like broccoli liked them. Great consistency. Thank you!
Can I use cornflakes crumbs instead of bread crumbs? They look so good! Can I just tell u that I make a lot of recipes from Ur website
That should work! I’m glad you like my recipes!
Thank you for this recipe. I made them for pesach and they looked so good, I couldn’t resist! I tasted one and it was delicious :-).
Can I substitute matzoh meal to make them for Passover?
Sure!
Hi,
These were delicious!
Just wanted to let you know that I tried freezing them and it did not work out very well. They were too dried out to eat.
This recipe looks awesome! Will try it for yom tov. If I use this in a kugel is it the same baking time?
You’ll probably need longer.
Just popped these on the oven and saw my pan of sautéed onions still on the stove will they still be good or should I make a second batch?
i made these with steamed zucchin instead of the broccoli and they came out delicious, thanks
I made these kugels for rosh hashana and it was delicious! even my kids couldn’t get enough of it. just wondering if i can make it any healthier by using less mayo?
is it ok that i didn’t boil the broccoli? i thawed a package of chopped broccoli tho
How did it come out? Planning on making these for Sukkos?
I made this in a 9×13 pan, baked for probably 45 minutes? I set a timer for 30 minutes and then just checked on it every 5-6 minutes until it looked lightly browned on the edges and firm in the middle.
It came out delicious!
I made this in a 9×13 pan. It was a pretty thin kugel, but came out delicious. I set a timer for 30 minutes then checked every 5 minutes after that until it looked golden brown around the edges and firm in the middle — so probably closer to 45 minutes in the oven.
Thanks, Miriam!
Can I make these without the paper liners and just spray the pan or will it fall apart?
You can, but spray well and it still might not look as good. I would use liners and remove them before serving.
Can you use chopped broccoli?
You can but it will change the texture.
What temperature are these good at, cold, hot or both?
Both. I prefer hot but cold is definitely good too!
Can I substitute the whole wheat breadcrumbs for regular? What’s the difference
Sure!
I would like to make these Dairy. Do you think I can make some grated cheese in?
Should be delicious, but I haven’t tried it!
would u make this into a full kugel? or would it be too dense? and what about adding cauliflower?
You can do a full size kugel! Increae baking time.
Is the salt regular or kosher salt?
How many muffins does this recipe make?