Home cook's 'life-changing' broccoli recipe is perfect for Sunday roast dinners

Emily's Emily's roast dinner smashed broccoli creation has gone viral on TikTok
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


If you're tired of the traditional Sunday roast, a home cook has just the twist to rejuvenate your mealtime.

London-based food expert, Emily (@emilyscooking_), is encouraging everyone to try her take on broccoli – her distinctive smashed crispy parmesan broccoli that she savours as a side dish. She took to TikTok to reveal her recipe and how-to video, which quickly racked up nearly two million views in just a day.

Emily's confidence in her dish is evident as she suggests: "Having a roast today? Fancy trying out a new side dish? Try my smashed crispy parmesan broccoli." She begins by boiling broccoli for 10-15 minutes until it becomes "slightly soft".

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After draining, she prepares a baking sheet with oil and her chosen spices: "I used oregano, garlic, pepper, salt, cumin, paprika and all purpose seasoning," she shares.

Parmesan is also added into the mix. The next step involves smashing the broccoli onto the seasoned baking paper. "Use something flat, I used the bottom of the glass," Emily advises, before suggesting an extra sprinkle of parmesan and seasoning for good measure.

Now it's crunch time for this culinary creation. "Cook in the oven or air fryer at 185°C for about 15-30 minutes depending on how much you've cooked," Emily suggests. "You want to cook them so they are just slightly crisp. So keep an eye on it while it's cooking."

At the end of her video, Emily reveals the delicious results, saying: "Remove from the tray and add as a side with your roast dinner, on its own or as a side with any meal. YUMMMM!" Her fans were quick to heap praise on her kitchen wizardry, with one TikTok user exclaiming: "Spectacular, give me fourteen of them right now."

Another wrote: "That might be the only time I eat broccoli. Oh my God." A third penned: "I don’t tend to like broccoli, but this actually looks appealing. A fourth person raved: "Broccoli is so good. DEFINITELY making this."

And a fifth hailed the idea: "Life-changing. I was gonna make a broccoli frittata but this is so much easier and healthier." Others had their own recommendations on how to adapt the dish slightly, meanwhile, with one TikTok foodie suggesting: "This but instead of parmesan, sharp cheddar? Not sure it'd get the same crisp but I'm willing to test it out. "