100+ EASY Side Dishes - Tastes Better From Scratch

Twice Baked Potatoes

Lauren Allen — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000

My family gets more excited about Twice Baked Potatoes then almost any other side dish I make. What’s not to love about a hollowed-out baked potato stuffed with fluffy mashed potatoes and melty cheese?

Want more delicious side dishes? Try Buttermilk Cornbread, Wedge Salad, Garlic Knots, or Truffle Mac and Cheese.

Why I love this recipe:

Versatile – These easy twice baked potatoes or “potato boats” as we call them make a great side with almost any meal. Serve them with something fancy like Prime Rib, or a simple Baked Ham or Pork Tenderloin.
Easy – So quick to make, but they feel fancy, and even the pickiest eaters love them.
Make Ahead – You know I love a good side dish I can prep ahead and stick in the oven just before dinnertime.

How to make Twice Baked Potatoes:

Cook Potatoes: Prick potatoes with a knife or fork. Rub them with olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for about an 1 hour, or until fork tender. Remove from oven and allow to rest until cool enough to handle.

Scoop Out: Cut the top, lengthwise of each potato off and scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl, leaving ¼ inch layer of potato flesh and skin, and the rest hollowed out.

Make Filling: Add butter, salt and pepper, chives, sour cream, garlic powder, chicken bouillon milk. Mash with a potato masher and then mix with beaters until smooth (but don’t over-mix them or they will be gluey instead of light and fluffy.) Add more milk if needed, the filling is better on the softer side since it will thicken in the oven.

Bake: Top potato boats with shredded cheese and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes of until the cheese is bubbly. Twice Baked Potatoes get their name from this step of baking the potatoes a second time, with the mashed potato filling and cheese on top.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: Prepare potatoes completely, without baking them the second time. Place them on a large sheet pan, lightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to one day, until ready to bake. If making them ahead, I suggest adding a little extra milk to the mashed potato filling so they are extra soft before sitting in the fridge for several hours.

To Freeze: Flash freeze them on a baking tray until they’re solid (about 30 minutes), then store in a freezer-safe bag of container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge before warming in the oven. (I don’t think frozen and then baked Twice Baked Potatoes have the same quality as when freshly made, so I would only use this method if it was really necessary).

More Potato Recipes:

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Twice Baked Potatoes

Our favorite twice baked potatoes are filled with flavorful, fluffy mashed potatoes and topped with melty cheese.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 30

Servings

Calories 326kcal

Author Lauren Allen

Cost 5

Equipment

Potato Masher

Ingredients

6 medium size Russet potatoes
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons chives , fresh, chopped
salt and pepper , to taste
3/4 cup milk , (or evaporated milk. Add more as needed)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon paste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Bake Potatoes: Wash and dry the potatoes, then prick the outsides of the potatoes a few times with a knife or fork. Rub them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake potatoes at 400 for about 1 hour, or until fork tender. Remove from oven and allow to rest until cool enough to handle.
Remove potato flesh: Cut the top, lengthwise of each potato off and scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl, leaving ¼ inch layer of potato flesh and skin, and the rest hollowed out.
Season mashed potatoes: Add butter, salt and pepper, chives, sour cream, garlic powder, chicken bouillon, and milk. Mash with a potato masher and then mix with beaters until smooth (but don’t over-mix them or they will be gluey instead of light and fluffy.) Add more milk, if needed—it’s better if the filling is on the softer side because the potato mixture will thicken up as it cooks again in the oven.
Bake: Top with shredded cheese and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

Video

Notes

Tip: Don’t over mix the potato filling. Over-mixing causes mashed potatoes to become gluey instead of light and fluffy.

Nutrition

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I originally shared this recipe in August 2010. Updated November 2018 and December 2023.

Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Lauren Allen — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 22:19:16 +0000

A flavorful and easy Whole Roasted Cauliflower recipe seasoned to perfection and served with a homemade tahini sauce. This will quickly become your favorite vegetable side dish, or appetizer.

If you love delicious side dishes you have to try our Beet Salad, Blistered Shishito Peppers, Buttermilk Cornbread, or the best Mashed Potatoes!

Why I love this recipe:

Easy – This whole roasted cauliflower recipe only takes 10 minutes to prep for the oven, with a handful of ingredients. Anyone can make it.
Showstopper – It’s unique and absolutely delicious; the garnishes of tahini sauce, fresh mint and pepitas are my favorite part! It would make a beautiful side dish for a fancy dinner like, Christmas Beef Tenderloin.

How to Roast a Whole Cauliflower:

Prep Cauliflower: Remove outer leaves away from the cauliflower and carefully cut the bottom so it’s flat, but be careful that it remains whole. Rinse it and pat it dry thoroughly and carefully with paper towels.

Season: In a small bowl combine olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt. Starting with the core up, drizzle seasoning all over, using a pastry brush to spread it around. Turn it head side up then season the top.

Roast: Add 1 tablespoon of water to the bottom of an oven-safe pan and then place cauliflower on pan. Apply lid (or cover the pan with aluminum foil) and cook for 45 minutes. Remove lid and cook for 10-15 more minutes, until browned on top.

Tahini Sauce: Mix the sauce ingredients together then set aside. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Serve: Add a layer of arugula to a serving dish then place the whole roasted cauliflower on top. Cut into wedges, like slices of cake, or cut into cauliflower steaks. Drizzle tahini sauce over it, then garnish with pepitas, chopped mint, crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch of flake salt.

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Whole Roasted Cauliflower

A flavorful and easy Whole Roasted Cauliflower recipe seasoned all over and served with tahini sauce drizzled on top. It's our favorite vegetable side dish.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 10

Servings

Calories 325kcal

Author Lauren Allen

Cost 5

Ingredients

For the Cauliflower:

1 head cauliflower , 2lbs
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Tahini Sauce:

1/4 cup tahini
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice , fresh squeezed
2 cloves garlic , minced
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1-2 Tablespoon cold water , if needed, to thin sauce

Garnish:

2 Tablespoons pepitas
2 teaspoons fresh mint leaves
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
pinch Sea salt or flake salt

Optional for Serving:

Arugula leaves tossed in olive oil , salt and pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prep Cauliflower: Remove outer leaves away from the cauliflower and carefully cut the bottom so it’s flat, but be careful that it remains whole. Wash and dry thoroughly and carefully, with paper towels.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Make seasoning: In a small bowl combine olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt.
Season Cauliflower: Starting with the core up, drizzle seasoning all over, using a pastry brush to spread it around. Turn it head side up and season the top.
Roast: Add 1 tablespoon of water to the bottom of an oven-safe pan. Place cauliflower on pan. Apply lid (or cover the pan with aluminum foil) and cook for 45 minutes. Remove lid and cook for 10-15 more minutes, until browned on top.
Tahini Sauce: Mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Garnish: Add a layer of arugula, if using, to a serving dish. Use a large spatula (or two—one on each side) to carefully lift the cauliflower from the pot and place on serving dish. Drizzle tahini sauce over it, and garnish with pepitas, chopped mint, crushed red pepper flakes, a pinch of flake salt.
To serve, cut it into wedges, like slices of cake, or cut into cauliflower steaks.

Video

Notes

Air Fryer Instructions: Follow the instructions above for preparing and seasoning the head of cauliflower. Place uncooked cauliflower in air fryer basket and cook at 360 degrees F for about 40 minutes. Every air fryer is a little different, so keep an eye on it so it doesn’t overcook.

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Buttermilk Biscuits

Lauren Allen — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

This homemade Buttermilk Biscuits recipe is quick to make and yields the most amazing buttery, flaky biscuits. They’re SO much better than store bought and only require simple pantry ingredients.

If you love warm bread recipes you should try Buttermilk Cornbread, Cinnamon Roll Biscuits, Whole Wheat Bread, Applesauce Bread, or Perfect Cinnamon Rolls.

Why I love this Buttermilk Biscuits recipe:

Texture – When you make buttermilk biscuits from scratch the dough is folded into layers to create the flaky biscuits we all love, with a crisp exterior and soft and chewy interior.
Sweetened with honey, instead of sugar, which adds the best subyle sweetness, and softness.
Versatile – Eat warm slathered with butter and homemade strawberry jam, or enjoy with a warm bowl of soup. Use for breakfast sandwiches, as a side to egg casserole, or with our delicious sausage gravy over the top!

How to make Biscuits:

Combine Dry Ingredients: Stir baking powder, flour, and salt together in a large bowl. Grate the frozen butter into the flour then use a pastry blender or mix the butter in. Place the mixing bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes. Similar to making pie crust, we want our ingredients to stay cold up until the biscuits go into the oven so that they bake with flakey, tender layers.

Add Wet Ingredients: Measure buttermilk into a liquid measuring cup then stir in the honey. (If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, use my buttermilk substitute). Add to the flour mixture from the fridge and stir together just until combined. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently mold into a ball.

Shape Dough: Press the dough with your hands (or a rolling pin) into a rectangle that is about ½ inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds, like a brochure. Repeat that process one more time, pressing the dough down to ½ inch thick and then folding it into thirds. This process helps create layers that will allow for a flakey biscuit texture.

Cut Out Biscuits: Roll the dough just ¾ inch thick then use biscuits cutters to cut into desired sizes.

Bake: Place biscuits on a parchment paper lined baking sheet then bake them for 10-12 minutes at 400°F.

Serve: I love to serve these easy buttermilk biscuits with strawberry jam, sausage gravy, with a bowl of soup, or topped with whipped cream and strawberries for a strawberry shortcake!

Storage and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: Prepare biscuits dough as directed, but before cutting the dough to bake, cover the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to days, before cutting and baking.

To Freeze: Prepare dough up until baking. Place uncooked biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover lightly with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Place frozen biscuits on a baking sheet, covered, to thaw overnight in the fridge before baking. Baked biscuits also freeze well, stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Recipe Variations:

Check out these breakfast favorites:

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Buttermilk Biscuits

This homemade Buttermilk Biscuits recipe is quick to make, flaky, and uses simple pantry ingredients. They're outrageously delicious and SO much better than store bought!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 172kcal

Author Lauren Allen

Cost 3

Equipment

Pastry Blender

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons butter , frozen
3/4 cup buttermilk*
3 Tablespoons honey

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Grate the frozen butter into the flour mixture and then use a pastry blender or fork to incorporate it until mixture resembles coarse meal. Chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Stir honey into buttermilk until well blended.
Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir just until moist. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form gently into a ball. Roll or pat the dough into a rectangle ½ inch thick.
Fold the dough into thirds (as if folding a piece of paper to fit into an envelope). Gently re-roll dough into a rectangle, ½ inch thick. Fold dough into thirds one more time. Gently roll to a 3/4-inch thickness.
Cut dough with a biscuit or cookie cutter to form 10-12 biscuits. Place them 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove from pan and cool on wire racks.
Store biscuits at room temperature for 1-2 days, or for best results, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze leftover biscuits in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Video

Notes

Buttermilk: If you don’t have some on hand, make your own Buttermilk Substitute by mixing milk and lemon juice or vinegar.

Make Ahead Instructions: Prepare biscuits dough as directed, but before cutting the dough to bake, cover the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to days, before cutting and baking.

Freezing Instructions: Prepare dough up until baking. Place uncooked biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover lightly with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Place frozen biscuits on a baking sheet, covered, to thaw overnight in the fridge before baking. Baked biscuits also freeze well, stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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*I originally shared this recipe April 2013. Updated December 2018 and March 2022 and November 2023.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Lauren Allen — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

This easy Sweet Potato Casserole recipe is topped with a brown sugar pecan toppings, and always steals the show on Thanksgiving. Best part is you can be prepared in advance for an easy make-ahead holiday side dish.

Want more Thanksgiving recipes? Try my Easy, No-Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey, the Best Homemade Rolls, Thanksgiving Stuffing, or our Perfect Pie Crust!

Why I love this casserole:

The Topping – The topping on this casserole is made with butter, pecans, flour, and brown sugar. It’s so much better than the marshmallow topping on sweet potato casserole (in my opinion!).
Make-Ahead – Want a stress-free Thanksgiving day? This whole casserole (as well as more of my Thanksgiving recipes) can be made a day or two in advance. Check out my Make Ahead Instructions at the end of the post for details!
Crowd Pleaser – This is a HIT with family and friends every single year. The potatoes are creamy, and the topping adds the perfect crunchy texture. It will become a new staple on your Thanksgiving table!

How to make Sweet Potato Casserole:

Cook Sweet Potatoes: Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to the pot to cover the potatoes a little more than half way. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until fork tender. Drain, and place on a cutting board to cool. Once they are warm enough to handle, remove the skins and place them in a large mixing bowl.

Make Filling: Add eggs, evaporated milk, vanilla, sugar, salt, and butter and mash everything together until smooth. I start with a potato masher, and then use an electric mixer on low speed, for about 45 seconds, to get the mixture smooth (without over-mixing). Smooth into casserole dish.

Add Pecan Topping: Combine the topping ingredients– butter, chopped pecans, flour, and brown sugar–and sprinkle all over the top of your mashed sweet potato mixture.

Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve this sweet potato casserole with pecans alongside your favorite Thanksgiving recipes!

Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows:

To add a marshmallow topping instead, simply top the casserole with a layer of miniature marshmallows and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the marshmallows are puffy and browned. You could also prepare this dish half and half with half pecan crumble mixture and half marshmallows. For this method, cook with half of the crumble for about 15 minutes first, then remove from the oven, cover the other half of the casserole with marshmallows and continue baking.

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing Instructions:

To Make-Ahead: You can prepare this easy sweet potato casserole recipe 1-2 days in advance. First make the filling and smooth into your baking dish. Make the topping, but store seperatly. Add topping before baking. Here are some other great Make-Ahead Thanksgiving recipes.

To Store: Store sweet potato casserole covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

To Freeze: Prepare the sweet potato casserole completely, but don’t bake it. Cover with a double layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes on the counter before baking.

More Thanksgiving Staples:

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Sweet Potato Casserole

This easy Sweet Potato Casserole recipe is topped with a brown sugar pecan toppings, and always steals the show on Thanksgiving.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 286kcal

Author Lauren Allen

Cost 7

Equipment

Ingredients

4-5 large sweet potatoes
3 large eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk , or substitute cream, or half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter , melted

For the topping:*

3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup pecans , chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Cook Potatoes: Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot. Add enough water to the pot to cover the potatoes a little more than half way. (You will need at least 3-4 inches of water but the water will not completely cover the potatoes!) Bring the water to a boil and then turn the heat to a medium simmer. Cover and simmer until they feel tender when poked with a fork. It may take 20-40 minutes to cook your sweet potatoes depending on the size of the potatoes, but you don't want them to be mushy.
Peel Potatoes: Drain water and place sweet potatoes on a plate or cutting board to cool down. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skin from the potatoes and place potatoes in a large mixing bowl.
Mix: Add eggs, evaporated milk, vanilla, sugar, salt, and butter and mash everything together until smooth. I start with a potato masher, and then use an electric mixer on low speed, for about 45 seconds, to get the mixture smooth.
Pour mixture into a lightly greased casserole dish. Anything around the size of an 8×11'' , 9×13'' or even a deep dish 10'' pie pan will work.
Make Topping: Add flour, brown sugar and pecans to a mixing bowl. Add butter and cut in with a fork or pastry blender until well combined. Sprinkle topping over sweet potato mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Video

Notes

Topping: To add a marshmallow topping instead, top the casserole with a layer of miniature marshmallows and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the marshmallows are puffy and browned.

Nut Allergy: Omit the nuts, or add about ½ cup rolled oats instead, for texture.

Make-Ahead Instructions: You can prepare this easy sweet potato casserole recipe 1-2 days in advance. First make the filling and smooth into your baking dish. Make the topping, but store seperatly. Add topping before baking. Here are some other great Make-Ahead Thanksgiving recipes.

Freezing Instructions: Prepare the sweet potato casserole completely, but don’t bake it. Cover with a double layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes on the counter before baking.

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I originally shared this recipe October 2017. Updated November 2019 and November 2023.

The Least Popular Thanksgiving Side Dish

Lauren Allen — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0000

We polled over 4,000 people across the nation, to answer the question “What is your least favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish?”

You don’t want to bring the DUD to Thanksgiving

It’s a Thanksgiving tradition in the US to gather family and friends together to eat a feast. Guests usually contribute a side dish so it’s not so overwhelming (and costly) for the hosts.

While it’s impossible to please everyone, you never want to be the one to bring the least popular Thanksgiving side dish on this special occasion. You’ll end up bringing home your own leftovers.

So embarrassing.

We polled over 4,000 people to answer the question:

What’s the Least Popular Thanksgiving Side Dish?

We asked participants their age and gender, then they selected one side dish (from a list of seven traditional Thanksgiving side dishes) as their least favorite.

Don’t worry, we have you covered on truly delicious recipes for these classic sides:

Green Bean Casserole (recipe from Eating on a Dime)
Sweet Potato Casserole
Roasted Vegetables (Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Broccoli, Cauliflower, etc.)
Cranberry Sauce
Stuffing
Homemade Rolls
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

The Most Interesting Discoveries:

Most people over 60 chose Green Bean Casserole as their most hated side dish.
Those under 40 also disliked Green Bean Casserole, but they had equal distaste for Sweet Potato Casserole. These two “retro” or “vintage” recipes were the most disliked on the list.
Surprisingly, only 3.3% of people hated Mashed Potatoes and Gravy– we expected this to be much higher because the gravy quality varies significantly from table to table.

In fact, according to the New York Times, gravy is second only to the turkey for the most stressful meal element. “For less experienced cooks, the recipe for gravy often includes anxiety.” I have a tried and true Turkey Gravy recipe that is simple enough for any home cook, but will make your meal shine!

*You can take the survey here!

Does Life Experience/Age Influence Taste Buds?

It seems that it does!

Green Bean Casserole won as the least liked Thanksgiving Side Dish in the poll, and since a large portion of the surveyed audience was over 60 years old, we concluded that there was no love lost between the two.

Photo Credit: Eating on a Dime

However, survey responders quickly reminded us that we can trace this traditional Thanksgiving side dish back to simpler times.

In fact, they never intended for these Green Bean Casserole and Sweet Potato Casserole to stick around.

“In the 40s and ’50s and ’60s, we didn’t have fresh green beans after the first freeze. All broccoli was frozen into little Birds Eye boxes. Transportation and storage has improved significantly since then.”

“The reason the green bean casserole recipe uses ingredients like canned green beans and mushroom soup is not just because of tradition, but because in the olden days- way back when- fresh vegetables were seasonal and not available.”

Survey participants reminded us that the only way you could get cranberries “way back when” was in a can, and that’s the way they still like it. They feel a sense of nostalgia and are happy to still have Green Bean Casserole and other unpopular sides grace the Thanksgiving table.

“I guess for me they bring back fond childhood memories. They are the ultimate comfort food for me.”

Let’s give them a break

Maybe we can give these vintage casserole recipes a break since they were likely passed down from people who lived through more difficult times and didn’t have access to fresh food like we do today.

Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for our blessings, and one thing we can be thankful for is that we can buy fresh green beans and cranberries at the grocery store!

Is Your Most Hated Side Dish On Our List?

One survey responder had strong feelings about our survey not including their least favorite side:

“Mine is oyster stuffing… seafood does NOT belong in a Thanksgiving Turkey!!”

We have to agree on that one.

Did we miss another least popular Thanksgiving food or do you have a love for Green Bean Casserole?

Let’s discuss it in the comments! (Feel free to add your favorite recipe for our least popular Thanksgiving sides – maybe you’ll change someone’s mind!)

The Big Take Away

The big takeaway from this survey? Forget the mushroom soup and marshmallows this year, and maybe just offer to bring a pie.

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Balsamic Roasted Carrots

Lauren Allen — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

These honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots are my favorite way to elevate this simple veggie to restaurant quality. They are flavorful, easy, and can be served with practically any entrée!

Looking for more side dishes? You will love Blistered Shishito Peppers, Whipped Feta with Roasted Vegetables, and Hericot Verts French Green Beans.

Why I love these roasted carrots:

Simple Elegance – These are the best roasted carrots that are so simple to make, inexpensive, and have a delicious flavor that’s different than others.
Easy – Just a few minutes to prep then they can be roasting in the oven while you make your dinner.
Versatile – Serve these balsamic carrots with practically anything! I love to eat it with Prime Rib, Meatloaf, Chicken Casserole, and always my Thanksgiving Turkey!

How to make Balsamic Roasted Carrots:

Prep Carrots: Remove stem from carrots (optional–If they have long green stems, I think they look pretty!)) then slice in half, lengthwise.

Flavor: Arrange carrots on baking sheet then toss with oil, balsamic vinegar, a drizzle of honey, and salt and pepper.

Roast for about 20 minutes, then remove from oven. Turn carrots to coat in remaining drippings, drizzle a little more honey, rosemary and thyme over the top then toss.

Finish: Use a paper towel to soak up any residual fluids on the bottom of the pan then return to oven for 20-30 more minutes, or until roasted carrots are tender and caramelized.

Serve With:

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Balsamic Roasted Carrots

These honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots could be straight from the restaurant. They are flavorful, easy, and can be served with practically any entrée.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 65kcal

Author Lauren Allen

Cost 2

Ingredients

2 pounds carrots , whole, washed
1 Tablespoons olive oil , or avocado oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , or more to taste
1 ½ Tablespoons balsamic vinegar , plain or flavor infused
honey
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary , chopped
½ teaspoon dried thyme , or 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, leaves removed

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove stem from carrots and slice in half, lengthwise.*
Arrange carrots on baking sheet and toss with oil, balsamic vinegar, a drizzle of honey, and salt and pepper.
Roast for about 20 minutes, then remove from oven.
Turn carrots making sure to coat in remaining drippings, drizzle a little more honey, rosemary and thyme over the top and toss to coat. Use a paper towel to soak up any residual fluids on the bottom of the pan allowing the carrots to roast instead of steam. Return to the oven for 20-30 more minutes, or until tender and caramelized.

Notes

Carrots: You want all the carrots to be similar size and thickness, so they cook evenly. If any carrots are extra large/thick, cut them in quarters, or very thin carrots may be left whole. For baby carrots, roast for 18-20 minutes.

Air Fryer Roasted Carrots: Cook at 400 degrees for 9-12 minutes

Nutrition

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