Cheesy Roasted Broccoli

By the time I was seven years old, I knew two hard facts about broccoli: 1. It’s fantastic with cheese, even just a slice of melted American like mom used to make, and 2. Broccoli is Smurf food. Fact: Smurfs eat broccoli, my entire family would remind me each dinner we sat down and I made a face and pushed it away. Well shit, I thought, if Papa Smurf and Smurfette like broccoli, I guess I should eat it, too. The logic was there, trust me.

Anyway, here’s a baller Smurf food recipe:

INGERDIENTS

2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1/2 medium lemon)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound broccoli crowns, cut into large 2-inch-wide florets
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Finely grated zest of 1 medium lemon
1/4 cup white cheddar

DIRECTIONS

• First, preheat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

• While the oven warms up, break a head of broccoli into evenly sized florets. Spread them on the baking sheet in a single layer.

• Toss the broccoli florets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer them to the hot oven and bake for 15 to 22 minutes, until the florets are browned and crisp around the edges.

• Pull the sheet out and toss the broccoli with parmesan, white cheddar, and pepper flakes and place back in the oven for 5-6 minutes until cheddar melts and starts to crisp around the edges.

• Pull the sheet back out and turn the oven off. Transfer broccoli to a serving bowl, sprinkle with the zest, and the rest of the parmesan. Serve warm or at room temperature.