Roasted Carrots with Maple and Tarragon Recipe

My dad’s side of the family always cooks carrots in some form during most holidays. One year, I hosted Thanksgiving and, although I felt obligated to serve some kind of cooked carrots, I was bored with baby steamed carrots.

This recipe was an accidental hit thanks to two things: my kids wanting to “help” cook and a bunch of extra ingredients on the counter.

I keep crinkled cutters for my young children in the kitchen. They are not sharp enough to hurt fingers and are perfect for letting children chop vegetables. When my children were very little, they could help me and that kept them busy while I cooked. I usually cooked a few meals a week that allowed them to help snack so they could participate.

And now that my kids are older and have had some cooking lessons, they can prepare most meals themselves!

How these roasted carrots were born

While I was busy with the sweet potatoes, turkey, mashed potatoes, etc., the kids asked for help. Then I took out the crumpled cutter and a bag of carrots. Ten minutes later, my kids had cut five pounds of carrots into crinkle slices, so I had to find a delicious recipe to make with them.

There was broth simmering in a pot, leftover maple syrup from the pecan pie, and fresh tarragon from the turkey, and this recipe was born. Everyone loved this easy oven roasted carrots recipe. It’s a great side dish for special holidays like Thanksgiving or Easter, but it’s pretty simple for a weeknight dinner.

Make roasted vegetables

Roasted vegetables are easy to prepare and a delicious way to get nutrition. I often put some vegetables and protein on a baking sheet for an easy one-pan meal. Parchment paper makes cleanup even easier! Brussels sprouts and root vegetables work well for roasting. You can use fresh herbs like fresh thyme or fresh parsley for seasoning, but dried herbs like cumin and garlic powder work too.

Some recipes call for adding refined or brown sugar, but it’s not really necessary. Roasting caramelizes the sugars in the vegetables for a flavorful side dish. I like to use maple syrup to add more flavor and complement the natural sweetness of the carrots. You could even use a tablespoon of honey instead of a version of honey roasted carrots.

I used regular orange carrots, but rainbow carrots or even baby carrots will work.

Steamed carrots

If you don’t want to roast the carrots, another option is to steam them. I mix the ingredients with a little broth and cook the carrots over low heat until they are tender. Here’s how to make the steamed version.

Ingredients:

Add all ingredients to a large skillet and simmer carrots until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.

What is your favorite way to eat carrots? Share it below!