Air Fryer Crispy Smashed Broccoli

Discover a simple and tasty way to cook broccoli using an air fryer. This recipe is perfect for busy individuals looking for a healthy and quick vegetable side dish. Those crispy edges are everything!

I have been on an air fryer recipes kick lately and one night I wanted to try something different with our veggies. So instead of roasting our broccoli, I tried cooking it in the air fryer. I loved that I got similar results to roasting it but in a fraction of the time. You can make this recipe from start to finish in less than 15 minutes!

Ingredients for Broccoli in the Air Fryer

First we will air fry the broccoli with a little oil and salt, and we will toss it in a delicious maple garlic sauce. Here are the items you will need to make this recipe:

• Broccoli Florets: cut into similar bite-sized pieces
• Olive Oil: helps the broccoli get crispy around the edges
• Salt: adds flavor
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Maple Syrup: adds a subtle natural sweetness
• Sesame Oil: adds flavor to the sauce we toss the roasted broccoli in at the end

The measurements for everything can be found in the recipe card down below.

Can I Use Frozen Broccoli?

Yes, frozen broccoli works great for this recipe. I would steam it until just heated through and then smash it as written in the instruction. Then proceed with the recipe as written to air fry it.

How to Make Air Fryer Broccoli

Here are the step-by-step directions for making this air fryer vegetable recipe:

1. Steam: We are going to parboil the broccoli first to get it nice and tender before sticking it in the air fryer. Place the broccoli in a steamer basket in a large sauce pan with boiling water. Cover the pan and let it steam until tender.
2. Flatten: Spread the steamed broccoli into a single layer on a cutting board or right in the air fryer basket and smash each one with the bottom of a sturdy drinking glass until it’s about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Toss: Put the smashed broccoli into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and salt and then toss to coat. Return them to the air fryer basket or baking sheets in a single layer (you may need to cook them in batches depending on the size of your air fryer) and cook at 400 degrees F for 8 minutes. You’ll want the edges to just start to get charred.
4. Stir: In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, maple syrup and sesame oil and then drizzle it over the broccoli and toss to coat.
5. Serve: Serve immediately while it’s crispy and hot!

The instructions can also be found in the recipe card down below so keep scrolling for the complete recipe.

Watch This Video to See How It’s Done…

Creamy Gruyere Baked Zucchini Squash Gratin

It’s time to take your average side dishes to the next level with this cheesy baked zucchini gratin! It’s creamy and packed full of zucchini, yellow squash, spinach and gruyere cheese.

Summertime means fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden! It’s the best! But come the end of summer, we are usually zucchini’d out. Anyone else? You can only have sauteed or steam zucchini so many times. That’s why we have the best zucchini bread, chocolate zucchini muffins, and zucchini cupcakes on the blog too. If you want more savory options, this baked zucchini gratin is phenomenal! Ooh, and our Mexican zucchini boats too!

I was watching a little Ina Garten one evening waiting for Cade to get home and I NEVER watch tv so I was totally excited to be soaking in a little inspiration. Ina (like we’re on first name basis) was cranking out a little zucchini and rice dish and I have been making my own low carb version ever since. 

Ingredients for Zucchini Au Gratin

You will need a few veggies, a couple of fresh herbs, two kinds of cheese, and a few other ingredients to make this delicious vegetable side dish. Here is your grocery list:

• Butter: adds flavor and keeps the veggies from sticking to the pan
• Olive Oil: cooks all the veggies before baking
• Zucchini: sliced thin
• Yellow Squash: sliced thin
• Shallot: adds flavor, if you don’t have a shallot, a yellow or white onion can be used instead
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Spinach: adds texture, nutrients and color
• Fresh Thyme: adds flavor, freshness
• Fresh Parsley: adds flavor, freshness
• Nutmeg: this might be surprising, but trust me…it adds a little pop of flavor
• Lemon Juice: adds a flavor pop, and cuts through the richness
• Salt and Black Pepper: adds flavor
• Eggs: acts as a binder to hold the casserole together
• Heavy Cream: adds richness
• Gruyere: adds such great flavor and makes the dish so gooey
• Parmesan: adds salty flavor and golden crispy topping

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card down below.

How to Make Summer Squash Gratin

You don’t want a side dish that is super complicated, especially for during the summer. This recipe is so easy, which is exactly what you want! You can even make it a day ahead and pop it into the oven right before your dinner. Here are the basic steps:

1. Preheat the oven.
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Easy Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

Cilantro lime cauliflower rice has been our favorite side dish lately. We are always looking for healthy sides that compliment our main dish and round out a meal. This dish is light and bright with a punch of lime and fresh cilantro.

We often like to double down on veggies for a meal rather than doing a carb, so this cauliflower rice, or cauli-rice, acts like rice but without all the carbs.

Serve this up with our steak fajitas, pork carnitas, or smothered honey lime chicken burritos! It is the perfect compliment to any Mexican meal. Here are all our favorite Mexican main dishes so you can find the one that speaks to you!

What is Cauliflower Rice?

Cauliflower rice is cauliflower that has been chopped up into tiny pieces that resemble grains of rice in size and texture. It can be made at home by putting cauliflower florets in a food processor or it can be purchased already chopped at the grocery store.

How to Make Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

When it comes to easy side dishes, this one is right up there with the easiest. If you don’t buy cauliflower rice pre-chopped, take your head of cauliflower, remove the core and leaves, and break it into florets. Place the florets into your food processor or blender and pulse it until you have small pieces similar to the size of rice grains.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, garlic and cumin and cook until it is fragrant (about a minute). Then add the cauliflower rice, lime juice, lime zest and cilantro and salt to taste and stir everything together. Cook it while stirring until it starts to turn brown slightly. It will take about 5-8 minutes. Serve it up with more fresh cilantro and enjoy!

How to Make Cauliflower Rice Not Soggy

I have found that the key to keeping cauliflower rice not soggy or mushy is to pan fry it or roast it in the oven. With just a little olive oil, the cauliflower will cook up just great on the stove top. Cauliflower stores a lot of moisture inside it, so it doesn’t need any extra moisture added to cook it. Once the cauliflower has been pulsed, you can squeeze it in a cheesecloth to omit some of the extra water.

How Many Carbs are in Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice?

Cauliflower is a popular low carb vegetable because it is so versatile. A cup of raw cauliflower contains just 5 grams of carbohydrates and 3 of those grams are fiber. That’s just 2 grams of digestible carbs!

For this recipe, 1 cup of cauli-rice is 71 calories and only 6 carbs.

Is Cauliflower Gluten Free?

Yes! Cauliflower is gluten free. This recipe is gluten free too and

Fabulous Ranch Green Beans Recipe [+Video]

This is a green beans recipe like you’ve never tasted before and it is FABULOUS! The green beans are creamy and full of that comforting ranch flavor that everyone loves all topped with a crunchy Panko topping. Boom! You’re going to love this vegetable side dish!

I’ve been spending some quality time with more and more teenagers lately, and I’ve never felt more old and out of touch. Haha! I find myself asking them to explain all the slang words they are using. I learned a new one the other day and I’m totally incorporating it into my everyday lingo because it’s used to describe really, really good food — now that is something I can relate to! The word is “bussin'”. I can confidently say that these green beans are totally bussin’! 

After I accidentally created our melt-in-your-mouth baked ranch chicken, I had the thought that swapping the chicken for green beans would be stellar! And then I thought, nobody ever cares about green bean recipes. My next thought was…I don’t care! I’m going to do it anyway! And I was 100% correct, creamy ranch green bean casserole is out of this world…aka bussin’! And you need to try it!

Ingredients for Ranch Green Bean Casserole

You only need a few ingredients to make this tasty side dish, and most of the items will already be things you have on hand. Here is what you will need:

• Green Beans – fresh, washed, trimmed and then blanched
• Shallot – part of the onion and garlic family but more subtle in flavor
• Salt and Pepper – adds flavor
• Butter – used in the base for the sauce and as a binder for the crunchy Panko topping  
• Flour – thickens the sauce
• Ranch Salad Dressing – Trust me on this, make it from the packet, following the directions. It will taste way better then if you just buy a bottle of ranch.
• Milk – combines with the ranch to create the sauce
• Panko Breadcrumbs – Japanese-style breadcrumbs that adds crunch to the top of this casserole

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post. You can also save and/or print the recipe from there.

How to Blanch Green Beans

Blanching green beans takes just a few quick and easy steps. Fill a large pot of water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add kosher salt to the water (about 1 tablespoon for every quart of water). When the water starts boiling, add the beans and let them cook for 2-3 minutes. 

Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice while the beans are cooking. When the beans have finished cooking, transfer the beans to the ice bath. Let them sit for a few minutes in the cold water. This helps the green beans maint