stuffed hasselback broccoli

I love vegan side dishes, but I think we deserve some more show stopping vegetables around the holidays! This next dish needs no introduction, (okay so maybe it does) it’s stuffed hasselback broccoli. And yes, saying the recipe name is a mouthful, but you’ll DEF want mouthfuls of this.

This stuffed hasselback broccoli is jam packed with vegan smoked gouda cheese, potatoes, thyme and caramelized onions. Yes! All into a broccoli crown. This ain’t grandma’s boiled broccoli, y'all!

How many times have you been in this situation, you’re at a holiday dinner with non-vegans (which is fine obvi!) and you’re sentenced to eating the hummus vegetable crudité platter, salted plain potatoes and [insert bland steamed vegetable here] for dinner!? Most people leave full, but instead you’re heading home to reheat your hot for food leftovers you made last night, cause ya starving! 

My stuffed hasselback broccoli was inspired by Ms. Donna Hay. She's a genius, and while not plant-based at all I respect her ingenuity. I had seen hasselback EVERYTHING on instagram, except this. So kudos to her for the invention, but now you can eat it vegan too!

And since you’re making it, I'll let ya in on a little secret, you'll be taking leftovers from this recipe and using them in my next extreme holiday makeover leftover episode! Chop up some of these leftovers and add them to the stuffed holiday leftover focaccia hot dip sandwich.

I just can't help levelling up my leftovers! Of course you already know this, because you watch my on the YouTube channel. But in case you have no idea what I'm talking about check out these recipes that were created from leftovers in my kitchen!

stuffed hasselback broccoli

This ain't your grandma's boiled broccoli! We've hasselback'ed it, roasted it, and stuffed it with vegan smoked gouda, potato, thyme and caramelized onions.

5 from 3 votes

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Servings: 4

Author: Lauren Toyota

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tbsp + ¼ C olive oil, divided
• ▢ 3 C thinly sliced yellow onion (about 3 onions) (makes 1 cup of caramelized onions)
• ▢ ½ tsp + ½ tsp sea salt, divided
• ▢ 3 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, divided (some extra thyme sprigs for garnishing - just the soft 1-inch stems near the top)
• ▢ 1 yellow potato, sliced ⅛-inch thick
• ▢ 4 small broccoli crowns (trimmed but keep the crowns intact)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• ▢ 6 vegan smoked gouda slices (we used Daiya)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• To caramelize the onions, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion and a ½ teaspoon sea salt and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the onions begin to brown, turn the heat down to medium low and add 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves. Continue cooking for about 10 to 15 more minutes. Stir occasionally so the onions brown evenly. You want them to be a light caramel color but not too dark because they will continue to cook in the oven. Once caramelized, set aside.
• While the onions are browning, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the sliced yellow potatoes first and then the trimmed broccoli crowns. If your pot is not large enough to fit both, blanch the broccoli first and then the potatoes. The broccoli will be blanched in about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the water when they’re bright green, but still crisp. Let them cool while you continue blanching the potatoes for 1 or 2 more minutes as the potatoes take a bit longer to cook. Drain the potatoes to let them cool and discard the water.
• When the broccoli crowns are cool, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Use a sharp knife to make 1 cut in the center of the crown, being careful not to go all the way down. Make 2 more cuts ¾ of an inch on either side of the center cut. Repeat with remaining broccoli crowns.
• In a small bowl, add remaining ¼ cup of olive oil, remaining ½ teaspoon sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Brush onto the broccoli crowns and on each side of the sliced potatoes.
• Prep the gouda cheese slices by stacking all 6 slices on top of each other. Slice the cheese stack into long ¼-inch wide strips.
• To assemble, take 2 to 3 slices of potato and slightly bend like you’re making a small taco. Add some of the vegan gouda strips in the middle and carefully, slip the potato and cheese into one of the incisions in the broccoli crown. Repeat filling each of the crowns with potato and gouda slices in each incision you made. It’s ok if the cheese crumbles and breaks apart during the stuffing stage. Take a spoonful of caramelized onion and gently stuff into each incision beside the potato and gouda filling. Top each crown with remaining 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves and soft thyme stems.
• Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until the broccoli gets slightly brown on top and the cheese is melted. Broil for an extra 1 to 2 minutes on the oven’s upper rack to get some extra char.

Notes

Use 2 leftover broccoli crowns for the stuffed holiday leftover focaccia recipe!