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Batatas com Brócolis

BRAZIL

Potatoes with Broccoli

SUBMITTED BY

Ana Letícia

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Ana Letícia showed me what I think is now my absolute favorite way to eat broccoli: on top of fries and smothered in creamy cheese sauce of course!

Batatas com Brócolis is a comforting Brazilian dish that transforms simple ingredients into a rich, oven-baked masterpiece. Popular in home kitchens across Brazil, this recipe combines crispy French fries, tender broccoli florets, and a deeply flavorful cheese sauce for the ultimate crowd-pleasing side or vegetarian main course.

What makes Batatas com Brócolis truly special is its creative use of broccoli. Instead of playing a supporting role, the broccoli becomes a star ingredient. Lightly steamed until just tender, the florets retain their vibrant green color and slight bite, adding freshness and balance to the richness of the cream and cheese. Layered generously between fries and sauce, the broccoli soaks up flavor while still offering texture and contrast.

The sauce begins with finely diced onion slowly cooked in olive oil until deeply caramelized, creating an intense, almost nutty base. Heavy cream is simmered with the browned onions until it darkens and absorbs their sweetness. A blend of melting cheeses—primarily mozzarella with additions like parmesan, gorgonzola, or provolone—melts into a smooth, velvety mixture. Hints of black pepper and nutmeg enhance the warmth and depth.

Assembled in layers of sauce, fries, and plenty of broccoli, the dish is finished with extra mozzarella and parmesan before baking until golden, bubbling, and beautifully gratinéed. The result is a creamy broccoli and potato bake that’s crispy on top, luscious underneath, and packed with savory flavor.

Perfect for family dinners or festive gatherings, Batatas com Brócolis is a delicious way to celebrate broccoli in a bold, indulgent Brazilian-style comfort dish.

Batatas com Brócolis

Servings 4
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Ingredients
  

  • ½ an onion finely diced
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • 200 g heavy cream
  • melting cheeses of your choice (mostly mozzarella, as well as some parmesan, gorgonzola, and/or provolone) as much as you like
  • black pepper to taste, optional
  • ground nutmeg to taste, optional
  • french fries cooked, as many as you like/need
  • broccoli as much as you like/need

Instructions
 

  • Steam the broccoli until just tender (not mushy) and reserve.
  • Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add the diced onion. Add a small pinch of salt and cook slowly, stirring often, until the onion becomes very dark and deeply toasted, almost brown in color, intense in flavor, but not burned. Add the heavy cream to the onion and lower the heat. Let it simmer gently, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn, until the cream absorbs the onion’s color and flavor and becomes noticeably darker.
  • Then, begin adding the cheeses little by little (save some for topping). Stir until fully melted and smooth.
  • Season with black pepper and nutmeg, if you like those, and adjust salt if needed. Set aside. If you fear the sauce is too thick, add more cream. You want it to be smooth and creamy, not runny, and not clumpy.
  • In a greased glass baking dish, assemble a layer of broccoli, fries, then cheese sauce, repeating the layers until you've used up everything, making sure to end with a layer of cheese sauce.
  • Top with mozzarella and, if available, some grated parmesan. Bake in the oven or air fryer until well browned and bubbling.
  • Serve right away!
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Region: Latin America

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About Beryl

I have been in the film and media industry for the past 12 years and have worked for companies including Great Big Story, ABC, CNN, Martha Stewart, News Corporation, Harper Collins and Fast Company.