Are you ready for this?
Because today, I’m actually going to make something that doesn’t contain cream cheese. It also doesn’t contain cheddar or mozzarella or Colby Jack. It’s cheeseless!
Okay, that’s a lie. There’s Parmesan.
Anyway, this is a great recipe for you to try if your kids aren’t crazy about vegetables. Or even if YOU aren’t crazy about vegetables. Or even if you’re lucky enough that everybody in your house is actually completely in love with vegetables.
I’m very blessed to have two kids who really like vegetables. The first time I got The Boy a Happy Meal, he was maybe four years old. I took out the chicken nuggets and the French fries and the little jug of milk and placed it all in front of him. He stared quietly at the meal before looking up at me with wide blue eyes and asking, “Where are the green beans?”
How did I get so lucky?
Both of our kids like vegetables. Of course, with age, they’ve each developed different palates and they don’t both love the same vegetables. The Boy, for instance, loves asparagus (He really likes it wrapped in bacon and baked in a hot tub of butter, soy sauce, and brown sugar!), but The Redhead does not enjoy asparagus as the result of an unfortunate choking incident years ago which she blames to this day on evil asparagus. She’ll still eat asparagus. It’s just not her favorite. For the most part, we are a very pro-veggie household. They both will eat you out of house and zucchini! They love squash, green beans (cooked with sausage and onions!), corn, artichokes, and good Lord, do they love caramelized onions. I try to make a ton of them (four or five BIG Vidalia onions!) every time we grill burgers and they eat them with forks like they’re chocolate pie – oh, yum! Chocolate pie! There I go again. Anyway. My kids love vegetables.
I know. I am blessed.
They recently discovered edamame. I put it into a pasta salad with grilled chicken, artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, and roasted red bell peppers. I made a huge salad, intending to get a couple of days of lunches out of it. They had it for lunch. They asked for it for dinner. They even sneaked in and sniggled the rest right out of the refrigerator before bedtime! Needless to say, that recipe was a keeper!
And so is this one!
This is a great snack! It is crispy and salty from the Parmesan; the edamame retain a nice bite, and there’s even a little black peppery kick at the end. And it’s really easy.
Warning: this is an addictive snack. It’s almost like eating vegetable popcorn. It’s very hard to stop eating it.
But that’s okay. It’s pretty good for you!
I had a few leftovers, so I threw them in a zippered bag. The next day, I spread them on a pan again and baked them at 400° for about 10 minutes to crisp them back up. No more leftovers!
Here’s how you do it:
Crispy Baked Edamame
- 16-ounce bag of frozen, shelled edamame
- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
- ¼ cup of grated Parmesan
- Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400°.
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, pour the frozen edamame. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Divide the edamame evenly between the baking sheets, making sure to spread the beans out. If they are touching, they won’t be as crispy. Sprinkle with Parmesan, salt and pepper.
Bake for 15-20 minutes – or until Parmesan begins to brown.
Remove from the oven and let it sit for about five minutes to cool. Enjoy!
Well Duh #1: Don’t try this without parchment paper. I’ve tried it on aluminum foil and it was awful. I’ve tried it on an unlined pan that I coated liberally with baking spray. It was a nightmare! Big mess! Get parchment paper!
Well Duh #2: Be sure these are sufficiently cool before serving them to little ones. You really don’t want an unfortunate vegetable incident in your house. It could turn your kid from vegetables forever!
Well Duh #3: Make sure you get the SHELLED edamame. Really.
Well Duh #4: If your kids are really young, you might want to dial back on the black pepper – or just leave it out altogether.
The finished product.
For real – I took this bowl outside on the back patio to take the pictures because I am a fan of natural light. The kids followed me out there and THIS kept happening while I was shooting!
But honestly, when this smile is the end result of making a HEALTHY snack, it’s worth everything! I mean, what’s the point of making vegetables, if the kids aren’t going to eat them? You’ve got to make them yummy!
Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!
Recent Comments