When I saw the most adorable little rainbow carrots at Trader Joe’s, I knew I was going to have to toss them in my cart. This happens only occasionally at TJ’s. Anyone who has ever shopped at TJ’s is probably sensing the strong sarcasm in my last sentence. The kids and I always joke about it because we go in with a list that has four items on it and we leave with a cart full. Sigh. You might recognize this ailment from similar shopping trips at Target. I knew I’d be developing a roasted carrot recipe for you guys with these, and I decided to keep it basic. My post on how to make acorn squash was surprisingly popular, so I’m planning to sprinkle in some more basics here and there. Tools in your cooking tool box.
Since I’ve shared a couple of roasted carrot recipes in the past, but never shown you how to make roasted whole carrots, I thought now would be a good time to cover that basic skill.
How to make whole roasted carrots
I typically roast vegetables at 425°F or even 450°F, but I turned down the oven a little bit, to 400°F, for these carrots. You want them to get nice and tender all the way through without getting too done on the outside. The great thing about these roasted whole carrots is that they look super glam due to the pretty shape and the tops still attached, but they actually require LESS work than roasting cut up carrots. WIN-WIN, am I right?
Once you have the technique down, you can experiment with adding other flavors like honey, mustard, brown sugar, rosemary, thyme, maple syrup or anything your heart desires! If you’re as obsessed with roasting vegetables as I am, make sure to check out my list of over FORTY roasted vegetable recipes! If you’re craving slightly more indulgent carrots, try my brown sugar glazed carrots (with bourbon!). These carrots would be great on this salad (from Inspired by Charm) or this beautiful salad from Delicious Everyday.
Quick-Start Guide!
