Looking for the best oven baked broccoli around? A garlic broccoli recipe – or, better yet, roasted broccoli with parmesan – that will be the best side dish, appetizer, or even a small lunch?
Then look no further!
I guarantee that this recipe for garlic parmesan broccoli is the easiest and best way to make broccoli (and I know you have some in your freezer!)
Can you make roasted parmesan broccoli in advance?
Yes, you can make this in advance – sorta. You would still need to heat the broccoli up in the oven (to give it the same ever-so-slightly crunchy texture) but making it the day before will still save you time on mixing ingredients and seasoning the broccoli (neither of which take very long). So while it won’t save you a ton of time, there are days where a little less active time in the kitchen can go a long way.
How to Make Roasted Broccoli the Day Before:
- Prepare the roasted parmesan broccoli per the recipe instructions.
- Remove from oven and allow to come to room temperature.
- Keeping the broccoli in the pan or dish you baked with, cover the top with aluminum foil and secure it around the sides.
- Place dish in the refrigerator.
- When ready to bake, remove the dish from the refrigerator and discard the aluminum foil.
- Let dish rest on the counter while preheating the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Bake broccoli for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Will this dish make for good leftovers?
Yes, it totally will!
You can either heat it up in the microwave (and lose some of the texture for the speediness of readines) or heat it up in the oven as explained in the “make in advance” instructions above.
How long is my broccoli side dish good for?
While this dish is best served immediately, it will stay good in the refrigerator for three to five days.
Can parmesan and garlic broccoli be frozen?
Yes, roasted broccoli can last up to 10 months in the freezer. The only downside is that the crispiness will suffer the longer this dish is stored. It will remain tasty, but it will be a softer dish.
How to Freeze Roasted Broccoli:
- Prepare the roasted parmesan broccoli per the recipe instructions.
- Remove from oven and allow to come to room temperature.
- Transfer baked broccoli to an airtight container or freezer bag
- Store in the freezer up to 10 months.
Can you use frozen broccoli?
This has been asked a few times in the comments, so I wanted to address it here: I talk about using frozen broccoli with this recipe, but I thaw it before cooking. This doesn’t take long – just put the broccoli in a strainer and run some lukewarm water over it until it’s soft (usually takes a few minutes). Then that’s it! Pat the broccoli dry and you’re ready to cook!
Notes & tips for garlic broccoli recipe
- One of the ways that this recipe “works” is the cook time. It’s tricky to know how to oven roast broccoli, but the key is a higher temp (425 degrees F) coupled with a slightly shorter cook time (10-12 minutes.) I’ve tried many recipes for cooking broccoli in the oven but this has been the best ratio I’ve found so far.
- To ensure even cooking, you want to cut your chosen vegetables into similar sizes.
- Be aware that all vegetables get smaller when they are roasted, so you may need to whip up more of this recipe than you originally expect.
- Throw some breadcrumbs in the mix for more crisp. Panko breadcrumbs can be used for maximum crunch punch.
- Fresh parmesan is best for this recipe, but all forms of parmesan will work.
- Almost any recipe that includes roasting a vegetable will tell you to toss them in olive oil. A mess-free and quick way to evenly coat your vegetables in the olive oil is to throw the oil and your chopped vegetables into a heavy-duty Ziploc bag, close it, and give it a good shake!
More great side dishes
This post was originally published on March 4th, 2015. It was updated with new content on March 2nd, 2020.
Recipe Details
Garlic Parmesan Broccoli
The perfect side dish to any meal! Broccoli baked with olive oil and garlic then sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Only 122 calories per serving!
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425 F. Drizzle a little olive oil on a baking sheet, then use a paper towel to rub the pan down.
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In a large bowl, add broccoli, olive oil, garlic, and salt to taste. Toss broccoli with a spoon until it’s completely coated.
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Pour broccoli on the prepared baking sheet, spreading out into an even layer. Scoop out any garlic & oil left in the bowl and sprinkle it over the broccoli.
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Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until broccoli is cooked through.
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Sprinkle cooked broccoli with parmesan cheese before serving.
