BEST broccoli EVER

Roasted Broccoli with garlic and olive oil...  BEST BROCCOLI EVER!

Man I love broccoli, and most other vegetables!  I am fortunate, my daughters share my passion and love for vegetables... my husband, not so much.  He eats most veggies to humor me.  But, there are rare occasions when he ends up loving a vegetable!  This is one of those times!
I'm not sure if I was living under a rock, but I had never heard of 'roasting' broccoli.  I have back-in-the-day boiled broccoli, and for many, many years now, have steamed broccoli. 
I have roasted root vegetables, and absolutely adore roasted vegetables, but it never crossed my mind to roast broccoli!  I believe I was reading something in one of my many favorite magazines- something about roasted broccoli.  It hit me like a brick- you could ROAST broccoli?  I guess the 'leaves' part of the broccoli, made me think that roasting wouldn't work... BUT it does!
Roasting, like with every food stuff, allows the food item brown, and caramelize, kind-of.  Roasting imparts a tenderness and sweetness, unlike steaming.  Roasting just makes it almost a different vegetable.  (And I loved broccoli steamed anyway.) 
Now that I've roasted broccoli, I won't be going back to steaming it- possibly sauteing it, but not steaming.  No mo!
I've made roasted broccoli now many times, in different ways.  This is how I made it last night...

Roasted Broccoli

2 lbs. frozen broccoli (spears or florets)

1/4 C olive oil
2 tsp. Pampered Chef seasoning salt
1 TBL granulated garlic (or chopped or sliced fresh garlic)
fresh ground pepper


Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then roast for approx. 50 minutes.
Partially defrost broccoli.  ( I have just made this with frozen right from the freezer, and made with fresh broccoli.  You just adjust times as needed.)  Put broccoli on a jelly roll pan (that is a cookie sheet with a lip on it).  I used a baking stone jelly roll pan from Pampered Chef.  (I love baking stones!!)  Drizzle olive oil, and sprinkle seasonings.  Toss with hands.
Bake on middle to top rack.  After 25 minutes, toss broccoli.  Bake another 25 minutes.

You can roast at a higher temp. like 425 degrees, and bake for a total of 25 minutes.  I enjoyed the slower roast.  The ways to season are endless.  I love this with sliced or chopped fresh garlic.   You could use any seasoning blend of your choice in lieu of the pampered chef seasoning salt.  I've even used chili powder!  Another way to season it with bright flavor, is to grate lemon peel, squeeze lemon juice, and sprinkle with real Parmesan cheese from Italy AFTER roasting.  Magical.

I ate this as my main dish last night, and had this broccoli for a mid-morning snack eaten cold.  It is just that good!
Enjoy!
Yours in health,
Natalie