Carrots: The Forgotten Veggie

No one really thinks of carrots when it comes to side dishes since no one really experiments with them.

Sure, we have buttered baby carrots and butter and brown sugar carrots, but how about something daringly gourmet and easy?

That’s where these roasted balsamic glazed carrots come in. Since carrots are naturally sweet, roasting them really brings out the flavor and when you pair them with a rich balsamic glaze, the flavor is off the charts.

They wow anyone who eats them so they’d make a great addition to your holiday table.

Enhance The Flavor

The basic recipe is awesome, but you can go to town adding additional flavors.

I tend to love orange accents with a lot of veggies so I added a little bit of orange zest to the glaze. To my taste, it brought out even more flavor. I’d also think they’d be great with a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon–use either (or both) sparingly. Remember you can always add more.

Also experiment with different herbs. I used thyme, but a bit of oregano or savory would be very good too. But remember to go easy with whatever you choose to use because the roasting gives superior taste and you only want to enhance that; not overpower it.

Prepping The Carrots

When preparing these roasted balsamic glazed carrots, make sure not to cut them too thick. About an inch (2.5 cm) is just about right. Too thin and they’ll burn at such a high temperature and the same is basically true for cutting too thick–although they’d be “roasted” on the outside but underdone on the inside.

And since the glaze they are tossed in contains melted butter, it’s best to have the carrots at room temperature or above when you toss them in the glaze. Otherwise, the butter will congeal and will not be distributed evenly over the carrots.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Balsamic Glazed Carrots

Carrots can be gourmet and delicious!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: carrot side dishes for the holidays, gourmet carrots, roasted carrots

Servings: 4

Calories: 141kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 lb carrots peeled and sliced on an extreme bias about 1-in/2.5-cm thick
• 1 tsp orange zest optional
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Glaze:

• 2 tbs melted unsalted butter
• 2 tbs honey
• 3 tbs balsamic vinegar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425F/210C. Spray a large baking sheet with non- stick spray
• Combine glaze ingredients in a large bowl. Add carrots and toss until well coated.
• Spread carrots on prepared sheet. Sprinkle with salt, orange zest (if using) pepper and thyme.
• Roast for 40 minutes, turning half way through cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 664mg | Potassium: 376mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 19122IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Roasted Balsamic Glazed Carrots appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Perfect For The Holidays

Since the holidays are approaching quickly, many of us are planning our Thanksgiving dinner.

I’m pretty much a traditionalist when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, but sometimes I like to think a little out of the box on one dish. Lately, that’s been the dessert. However, this year it’s a side dish.

Sweet potatoes have always been a favorite around here, and this year won’t be any different. The only difference is they’ll be flavored with two of my favorite flavorings.

Butter For Richness

Who doesn’t love the taste butter imparts? I don’t think you’ll find many who don’t. The only downside is the fat, not the flavor.

And when I say this recipe is rich, it truly is. It calls for one cup of butter. My way of looking at it is that this sweet potato side is generally a smaller portion and Thanksgiving is a day to splurge. If it’s still too much of a good thing for you, it can be made with half the butter. It won’t be as rich, but it’ll still taste good! As always, I recommend using unsalted butter so you can control the salt.

Bright Orange

I love the bright taste of orange–especially when combined with cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. That’s the flavorings in these rich buttery sweet potato slices.

The flavorings, however, do not overpower the taste of the sweet potatoes. They’re very subtle flavors because except for the nutmeg, you’re using the whole spice and fruit rather than the ground variety.

Whole orange slices top the potatoes so they impart a mild flavor and whole cinnamon sticks are distributed in the dish. When these are combined with the small amount of nutmeg, the flavor is unbelievably good.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Buttery Sweet Potato Slices

Buttery with a hint of orange

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: holiday side dishes, sweet potato casserole, sweet potatoes with oranges

Servings: 6

Calories: 621kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 3 lbs sweet potatoes or yams peeled and sliced crosswise in 1/4-inch thick rounds
• 1 orange thinly sliced into rounds
• 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
• 1 cup light brown sugar packed
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. In an ungreased 2-quart baking dish place sweet potato slices, overlapping slightly and covering the dish. In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cook until sugar is dissolved, then add the orange slices. Pour the mixture over the potatoes, covering the entire surface.
• Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake 40 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove foil and bake 20 to 25 minutes more or until the top is golden brown. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 621kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 527mg | Potassium: 869mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 33170IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Buttery Sweet Potato Slices appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Praline Sweet Potato Crunch

Disclaimer: This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Post cereals, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #PostWalgreens https://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.

This is a side dish I’ve made for years for Thanksgiving and most any other time I’ve had sweet potatoes.

Post Honey Bunches of Oats and other ingredients

Praline Sweet Potato Crunch with Post Honey Bunches of Oats

Single Serving of Praline Sweet Potato Crunch

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Praline Crunch Sweet Potato Casserole

This delicious twist on sweet potato casserole has a crunchy cereal topping for a litte extra sweetness. It's the perfect holiday side dish!

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course: side dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: holiday side dishes, sweet potato casserole, sweet potatoes

Servings: 6 -8

Calories: 318kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 4 large sweet potatoes about 4 cups
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Topping:

• 2 cups Post Honey Bunches of Oats® cereal any variety
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Pierce skin of sweet potatoes in a few places. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for one hour or until potatoes test done (soft when squeezed in the center).
• At this point, sweet potatoes may be skinned and refrigerated until final preparation.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or grease a shallow 1 1/2 or 2 quart baking dish (11 x 7 is a good size).
• In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, milk, 2 tbs. melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and eggs. Beat at low speed for about 1 minute, or until well combined.
• Pour sweet potato mixture into prepared baking dish.
• In another bowl, combine all topping ingredients and distribute evenly over the top of the sweet potato mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Remove foil or cover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until nuts are slightly toasted.
• Serves 6-8

Notes

NOTE: I used Post Honey Bunches of Oats® Raisin Medley since I thought it would add some dimension to the casserole.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 216mg | Potassium: 407mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 12813IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 4mg

Praline Sweet Potato Crunch with Post Honey Bunches of Oats

Copyright © Judith Hannemann aka The Midnight Baker 2014. All Rights Reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without The Midnight Baker’s express consent.

The post Praline Sweet Potato Crunch (SPONSORED) appeared first on The Midnight Baker.