Description
Carrot Casserole brings comfort straight from grandma’s kitchen to your dinner table. Creamy, cheesy, and packed with garden-fresh goodness, this dish turns simple carrots into a crowd-pleasing side that’ll have everyone asking for seconds.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Vegetables:
- 4 carrots
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup cauliflower florets
- ½ cup frozen peas
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 small onion
- 2 cloves garlic
Finishing and Binding Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Plunge 2 cups of sliced carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower florets into the water. Blanch for 3-4 minutes until vegetables are just tender and maintain a crisp texture. Drain thoroughly and set vegetables aside.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add finely diced onion and sauté until translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Incorporate minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of flour into the butter mixture, whisking constantly for 1-2 minutes to create a smooth roux. Gradually pour in 1 ½ cups whole milk and ½ cup heavy cream, whisking continuously to prevent lumps from forming.
- Simmer the sauce for 3-5 minutes until it thickens noticeably. Season with salt, black pepper, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, and optional paprika. Blend in 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar and ½ cup Parmesan cheese until the sauce becomes silky and uniform.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Arrange the blanched vegetables and ½ cup frozen peas in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Gently pour the cheese sauce over the vegetables, carefully coating each piece.
- Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheddar cheese across the top of the casserole. In a separate small bowl, mix ½ cup breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon olive oil until thoroughly combined.
- Distribute the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the casserole. Bake for 25-30 minutes, watching for a golden-brown top and bubbling edges. Allow the casserole to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving to help it set.
Notes
- Blanch vegetables quickly to maintain their bright color and crisp texture, which keeps the casserole from becoming mushy.
- Whisk the cheese sauce constantly to prevent lumps and ensure a smooth, creamy consistency that coats the vegetables evenly.
- Use fresh, high-quality cheese for the best flavor, and grate it yourself instead of using pre-shredded cheese for a more melted texture.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular flour with cornstarch or a gluten-free flour blend and use gluten-free breadcrumbs on top.
- Prep Time: 39 minutes
- Cook Time: 58 minutes
- Category: Casseroles
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 363 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 370 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg