I’ve loved carrots ever since I can remember, but that’s probably because I grew up eating my Grandma’s Candied Carrots. Whenever we would go over for Sunday dinners she would serve these alongside a savory roast with mashed potatoes. You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten a tender carrot topped with a sweet, buttery glaze. I’ve changed her recipe a little over the years to make it more foolproof, but am now raising the next generation of carrot lovers thanks to my Grandma❤️.
These days I love to serve Candied Carrots alongside Herb Roasted Chicken, Crockpot Beef Drip, or Baked Chicken Spaghetti. I will include all of the links to these recipes below, but let’s get started on the carrots!
Candied Carrots
Despite their name, Candied Carrots are actually reasonably healthy. The carrots steam, instead of boil, and so more of the nutrients are preserved and the natural sweetness of the carrots really shines (a little added sugar doesn’t hurt either….)
Start by peeling and slicing 2 pounds of carrots. Place the carrots in a small stockpot and add some butter, water, and sugar. Close the lid and let the carrots cook over low heat until soft and tender. All that’s left in the pot at the end of cooking is tender carrots in a sweet, buttery glaze. Sprinkle with salt and pepper before serving. Easy!
Just like Grandma, I love to serve these carrots alongside creamy mashed potatoes and a savory roast. Another favorite is to serve them as a side for chicken spaghetti. Here are the recipes!
https://7emptyplates.com/backed-chicken-spaghetti/
https://7emptyplates.com/perfect-herb-roasted-chicken/
And Crock Pot Beef Drip (I serve this as a roast instead of sandwiches sometimes…only difference is I don’t shred the meat at the end).
https://7emptyplates.com/beef-drip-sandwiches/
If you need a good Creamy Mashed Potato recipe, this is my favorite!
https://7emptyplates.com/crockpot-barbecue-meatballs-with-creamy-mashed-potatoes/
Sugared Carrots
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4″ slices
4 tablespoons butter; cut into 4, 1 tablespoon slices
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
Put the carrots in a small, heavy saucepan with the butter, sugar and water. Cover and cook over low heat until tender (15-20 minutes). You will want to check the carrots a few times during the cooking time to stir and adjust the heat higher or lower as needed to maintain a low boil. You are looking to steam the carrots, not boil them.
If there is too much liquid left in the pan when the carrots have finished cooking (are tender), remove the lid from the carrots and turn the heat to high while the liquid boils down to a sweet, buttery glaze. I need to do this step about half the time (I think a lot is dependent on the freshness of carrots used). Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
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