California Blend Vegetables with Parmesan Bread Crumbs

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 6 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, so she never bothered to teach me much past meatloaf. I can actually remember her saying: “How can you be Italian?” That might have been more because I didn’t like tomato sauce though.  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. In the same day. While it makes a great vegetarian main dish, these days we usually enjoy it as a side dish.

The recipe originally started off as something completely different, and over time, I made it my own and even turned it into a pretty popular soup recipe! For the best taste and texture, I do recommend using fresh, not frozen, produce.

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.

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.

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 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!

I don’t usually do anything extra as far as garnishes and such for serving. If presentation is a concern, make sure to use a pretty baking dish and a nice serving spoon.

Enjoy!

Tips and Techniques

• 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.
• Omit the carrots and increase the broccoli and cauliflower for a lower carb dish. You can also try replacing the bread crumbs with ground flax seed. I have not tested using flax seed meal yet myself.
• Use gluten free bread crumbs to make this dish gluten free.
• Add 1/8 teaspoon more cayenne for added heat. Omit the cayenne for a milder side dish.

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California Blend Vegetables with Parmesan Bread Crumbs

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

55 mins

 

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

Keyword: california blend vegetable casserole, california vegetable casserole

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 152 kcal

Author: Lauren

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

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Add the chopped vegetables and melted butter to a medium size bowl.

3. Stir to coat the vegetables in the butter.

4. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, panko bread crumbs, and cayenne pepper (if using). Mix well.

5. Add the Parmesan cheese mixture to the bowl of vegetables and mix well.

6. 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.

7. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.

8. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender and the bread crumbs are golden brown.

Recipe Notes

Tips and Techniques

• 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.
• Omit the carrots and increase the broccoli and cauliflower for a lower carb dish. You can also try replacing the bread crumbs with ground flax seed. I have not tested using flax seed meal yet myself.
• Use gluten free bread crumbs to make this dish gluten free.
• Add 1/8 teaspoon more cayenne for added heat. Omit the cayenne for a milder side dish.