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California Blend Vegetables with Parmesan Bread Crumbs

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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!

California Blend Vegetables with Parmesan Bread Crumbs in a white casserole dish with a black and white striped napkin

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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!

Broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots in a silver bowl

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.

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Create!

Add the vegetables and melted butter to a medium size bowl and stir to coat the vegetables in the butter.

Parmesan bread crumbs in a light blue bowl close up

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.

Broccoli, cauliflower and carrots tossed with Parmesan bread crumbs in a silver bowl

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.

California blend vegetables in a white casserole dish before baking

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!

Close up of California Blend Vegetables baked in a white casserole dish

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

Love this California Blend Vegetables with Parmesan Bread Crumbs recipe? Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for more!

Broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower baked with parmesan bread crumbs in a white casserole dish with a black and white striped napkin
Print

California Blend Vegetables with Parmesan Bread Crumbs

A mix 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!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American, Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 72kcal
Author Lauren Harris

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
US Customary - Metric

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.
** Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 254mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 5615IU | Vitamin C: 35.1mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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.

Comments

    • Lauren Vavala Harris says

      Hi Sue,

      You could make this a day or so ahead of time. The butter is going to re-harden, but will melt when it’s baking. You may just want to give it a stir halfway though to get coat the veggies better.

      – Lauren

      Reply

    • Lauren Vavala Harris says

      Hi! I haven’t made this recipe in a crock pot, or remember any possible feedback regarding using one, so I can’t say for sure how long it might take. So sorry!

      – Lauren

      Reply

  4. Monica says

    Love this blend and the tiny touch of heat – it adds the best flavor! So happy to have another healthy side dish in our rotation.

    Reply

  5. Ann says

    I tend to make California blend vegetables quite often during the week. The parmesan bread crumbs is a great add to mix things up!

    Reply

  6. Jamie says

    I totally loved this recipe, the result looks absolutely delicious and yummy! Plus above all, it’s definitely a healthy dish that everyone can enjoy! Thanks for sharing this with us!

    Reply

  7. Jessica says

    Hi! Can you use nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan to make this dairy free? I plan to use dairy free butter. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Lauren Vavala says

      Hi Jessica! I haven’t used nutritional yeast too much in cooked/baked recipes, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you’ve used it before it other baked/cooked foods similar to this, it shouldn’t be a problem.

      Reply

    • Shelley says

      Nutritional yeast sounds like a good replacement or addition!! I’m making this dish for the first time this evening…gonna add the nutritional yeast😊, too

      Reply

  8. Kathleen Borgeson says

    I followed the recipe however the vegetables were not nearly done after 45 minutes in the oven. I increased the temperature to 400 and 10 minutes later still not done. I transferred to a sheet pan and they were ready about 10 minutes on the sheet pan. Tasted great but will just start on the sheet pan if I make it again.

    Reply

    • Lauren Vavala says

      Hi Kathleen! Thanks so much for the feedback.
      There are definitely several factors that can be contributing to a difference in the cook time. Oven temps vary (my current oven is awful and can fluctuate 50 degrees!), the size of the cuts and thickness of the veggies – especially the carrots, and simply personal preferences. I prefer veggies to have a little bite to them still but if you like them more tender, you can either blanch them first or do as you did and cook them longer.
      I’m not sure I would recommend using a sheet pan from the start. I haven’t done it but do think it could cause the breadcrumbs/cheese to burn and stick to the pan. If you try it and it works out, please let me know.

      – Lauren

      Reply

  9. Kayleen says

    Freaking brilliant!!! I’ve been looking everywhere to try and find a good vegetable side dish. I don’t know why it never dawned on me to do this! I’ll be making this Sunday.

    Reply

    • Lauren Vavala says

      Hi Bob, I think using cheddar cheese will work out just fine. Obviously the flavor will be a bit different but I like cheddar on veggies too 🙂

      – Lauren

      Reply

    • Lauren Vavala says

      Hi Abigail! I’ve never added mushrooms to this recipe and I don’t recall any feedback that anyone else has, but I really don’t see why you couldn’t. If you give it a try, please let us know how it works out 🙂

      – Lauren

      Reply

  12. Teena says

    Love this dish and have made it several times always using fresh veggies. I’m in a bind today and if I were to use frozen vegetables would they need to be thawed before baking?

    Reply

    • Lauren Vavala says

      Sorry Teena! My spam filter is a beast and I am just now seeing this in the mix. You can use frozen veggies to make this (my mom always does). You will either want to defrost them first or increase the bake time. I’d lean more towards defrosting first so that you don’t potentially burn the breadcrumbs if it takes too much extra time to heat through.
      Hope it works out just as great for you!!

      Lauren

      Reply

    • Lynn says

      I made this for Easter with Birdseye Normandy blend. I thawed them in the fridge and let the water run off overnight into a collander inside a bowl. I used crumbled Ritz crackers instead of Panko. It was a hit. I’m making it again tomorrow for a church potluck.

      Reply

    • Lauren Vavala says

      Hi Ashley. I’m not sure an Instant Pot would work very well for this recipe as a whole. Since you need liquid in the pot for it to work, you could really only cook the veggies in there and would still have to transfer it to a baking dish to top with bread crumbs and bake until crispy.

      Hope this helps some.

      – Lauren

      Reply

  15. Natalie says

    This looks delicious but I will probably substitute the cayenne for Italian seasoning cause I don’t like spicy foods.

    Reply

  19. Michelle says

    I love this, I could easily have this as a main meal. I’ve just gone back to a vegetarian diet and this will be perfect for a quick and easy dinner.

    Reply

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