Carrots are a vegetable that certain members of my family (everyone else but me) don’t love unless they’re cooked so that they’re still pretty firm or are served raw with a side of ranch dressing. For that reason, I usually add baby carrots to my slow cooker the last hour of cook time when I add them to a pot roast so that the carrots don’t get too mushy for my crew.
Since trying roasted carrots I’ve fallen head over heels for them. They’re delicious because roasting them enhances their sweet taste and I can control how soft or firm they are by cutting them thinner and roasting them for longer, or by leaving them in thicker chunks and roasting them for less time. This recipe is for a night when you have a bag of baby carrots that need to be finished up or if you feel like peeling and chopping large carrots.
Recently I tried a roasted carrot and beet salad with goat cheese. It has become one of my favorite vegetables to add to a pan of roasted carrots. Our grocery store sells diced beets in the freezer section so while I’m roasting carrots I’ll often add an equal amount of beets to the sheet pan. Delicious!
I have developed recipes that use less oil than others to try to keep my cholesterol levels in check. This recipe only uses 1 Tbsp. of oil but by mixing the carrots in a bowl with the oil it ensures that all of the surfaces will be covered and roast properly. If once you’ve mixed your carrots up with the tablespoon of oil you think it needs more oil, add it a little at a time.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover a large sheet pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Peel and chop your carrots in large chunks or in thinner slices or use a bag of baby carrots. I cut my carrots into three chunks and then quarter each larger piece. In a large bowl drizzle in 1 Tbsp. of oil and stir the carrots to ensure that all of the surfaces are covered with oil. Spread the carrots out onto the baking sheet leaving space so that they don’t crowd up and steam. Season with assorted dried spices (salt, pepper, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried rosemary) . I don’t use a set amount I just hold my hand up high above the pan and spread the seasoning lightly over everything.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan and stir the carrots and check them for the level of softness that you prefer. If necessary spread the carrots back out and return the pan to the oven for 10 more minutes.
Note – use two pans if necessary to spread the carrots out so that they don’t steam, especially if you are roasting a larger quantity of carrots.
