Chili Honey Butter Carrots

Strangely, cooked carrots are a recent addition to my culinary roster. We ate boatloads of carrots growing up, but most of the time they were raw and dipped into any number of creamy dressings (we are good Midwesterners, after all). While we ate tons of cooked vegetables as dinner sides, carrots just never seemed to make the cut for some reason.

Recently I’ve been on a mission to remedy this. What’s extra galling is that they’re SO DAMN EASY and delicious that now I just feel like I’ve been missing out for 30-something years, but no matter – I have the rest of my life to atone to these wildly underrated and versatile little root veggies. Apologies, carrots. I’ll do better, I promise.

These are obviously fabulous as a side to…pretty much anything you can imagine. Meat, fish, tofu, burgers, sandwiches, throw them in a soup. It’s all good. Heck, eat them on their own as a snack. (I did.)

CHILI HONEY BUTTER CARROTS
Recipe: Molly Robison, 2023
Servings: 3-4
Cook time: 45 minutes, including prep

INGREDIENTS:
– 5 or 6 large carrots, washed, peeled, and cut on a diagonal into 1.5″ pieces. For the thicker parts at the end, cut those pieces in half lengthwise.
– 1.5 Tablespoons olive oil
– 2 Tablespoons butter or butter substitute of your choosing
– 1.5 Tablespoons honey
– Salt
– Black pepper
– 1-2 tsp chili flakes

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray or lightly grease with olive oil. In a mixing bowl, mix carrots, olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, and then transfer to the baking sheet. Roast carrots for 20 minutes or until fork tender and beginning to brown around the edges.
2. While carrots are roasting, melt butter in a small pan. Add the honey and chili flakes and mix well to incorporate. No need to bring to a boil or simmer – just ensure that the ingredients are warmed through and well combined.
3. When carrots have finished roasting, remove them from the oven and transfer them back into the mixing bowl. Pour the chili honey butter mixture over the top, toss well, and serve.

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