California Blend Vegetables with Parmesan Bread Crumbs is a mixture of broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower topped with Parmesan bread crumbs. A hint of cayenne brings a touch of heat to this very delicious side dish!
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I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Up until maybe 8-9 years ago, I couldn’t cook to save my life. Even following a recipe, somehow I would manage to create only an inedible mess that looked nothing like the picture.
I think my mom probably thought I was a lost cause. I can actually remember her saying: “How can you be Italian?” And, just recently, we did find out we are far more Greek than Italian – ha!
I’ve mentioned before that I did follow a strict vegetarian diet for over 10 years. My meals mostly consisted of rice, beans, pasta, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, of course. The one meal I did make was this California Blend Vegetables with Parmesan Bread Crumbs recipe. It must be impossible to mess up, because I have never made a bad batch.
I would literally eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The recipe originally started off as something completely different, and over time, I made it my own. I even turned it into California Blend Vegetable Soup too!
Why This Recipe Works
- It makes a great vegetarian main dish, or you can enjoy it as a side dish.
- This is a quick and easy recipe to make all year round.
- You can make this mild or spicy, depending on your own preferences.
How to Make California Blend Vegetables with Parmesan Bread Crumbs
Prep!
Cut the carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower into bite-size pieces. Melt the butter in the microwave (15-30 seconds usually does the trick) and grate the Parmesan cheese, if necessary.
Tip: cut the vegetables into even bite-size pieces to ensure even cooking.
Create!
Add the vegetables and melted butter to a medium size bowl and stir to coat the vegetables in the butter.
In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, panko bread crumbs, and cayenne pepper (if using), mix well.
Tip: simply omit the cayenne pepper if you don’t like spicy food or want to make this dish family-friendly.
Add the bread crumbs to the bowl of vegetables. Toss to coat.
NOTE: a lot of the bread crumbs will fall to the bottom of the bowl – we will use these in the next step.
Carefully pour the vegetables into a medium-size baking dish. Evenly spread the extra bread crumbs from the bottom of the bowl all over the top of the veggies.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender and the bread crumbs are golden brown.
Present!
Serve hot and enjoy!
Tips and Techniques for the Best California Blend Vegetables
- Use fresh vegetables for the best results.
- Butter is not necessarily needed for this recipe. I usually make it without, but the bread crumbs will be drier.
- The measurements for the vegetables are all adjustable to your own preferences.
- Use gluten free bread crumbs to make this dish gluten free.
FAQ’s
- What are California Blend vegetables? California blend vegetables are a combination of cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots.
- Can you use frozen California Blend vegetables? While fresh is always best for taste and texture, you can use frozen vegetables, if needed.
Other Recipes to Try
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California Blend Vegetables with Parmesan Bread Crumbs
Ingredients
- 2 cups carrots * cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 cups broccoli florets * cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 cups cauliflower * cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter * melted
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese * grated
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper * optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Add the chopped vegetables and melted butter to a medium size bowl.
- Stir to coat the vegetables in the butter.
- In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, panko bread crumbs, and cayenne pepper (if using). Mix well.
- Add the Parmesan cheese mixture to the bowl of vegetables and mix well.
- Pour the vegetables into a medium-size baking dish, evenly spreading any extra bread crumbs from the bottom of the bowl all over the top of the veggies.
- Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender and the bread crumbs are golden brown.
Notes
Tips and Techniques for the Best California Blend Vegetables
- Use fresh vegetables for the best results.
- Butter is not necessarily needed for this recipe. I usually make it without, but the bread crumbs will be drier.
- The measurements for the vegetables are all adjustable to your own preferences.
- Use gluten free bread crumbs to make this dish gluten free.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on September 5, 2018. It was updated with new images, more thorough instructions, tips, techniques, and FAQ’s in August 2019.
