By Linda Arceo
Sweet, crunchy and oh so versatile, carrots are a delicious sign of spring and the star of the Easter season. Whether it is lunch, brunch, or an elegant dinner—however you are serving your Easter meal this year, I have the perfect carrot side dish for you.
Choose from three must-make carrot recipes for Easter including:
Brown Sugar-Maple Oven Roasted Carrots – a classic and simple recipe for roasted carrots that is both sweet and savory
Oven Roasted Hasselback Carrots – You’ve heard of hasselback potatoes before, so why not carrots? Packed with flavor and a pretty addition to your Easter meal
Tangy Carrot Salad – Fast, fresh and foolproof, this Tangy Carrot Salad is the perfect choice for your Easter brunch
So grab a bag of your favorite root vegetable and find a recipe “every bunny” will enjoy this Easter. Let’s get started.
Brown Sugar-Maple Oven Roasted Carrots
4 servings | Cook time 50-60 minutes
Ingredients
5-6 large carrots, sliced
2 TBSP olive oil
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 TBSP butter (not melted)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cut carrots into circular slices.
Spread carrots in shallow baking pan. Toss with olive oil, brown sugar, maple syrup and salt and pepper. Add butter (break up into pieces) and top evenly over carrots.
Bake carrots, tossing every 20 minutes until tender and edges are lightly browned. Once finished, sprinkle with a pinch of brown sugar to finish. Serve warm.
Oven Roasted
Hasselback Carrots
4 servings | Cook time 50-60 minutes
Ingredients
4 large carrots
3 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper to
taste
3 TBS butter, melted
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2-3 tablespoons of crumbled feta
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a small baking pan with cooking spray or oil.
Peel carrots and make crosswise cuts every 1/4-inch along each carrot, being careful not to slice all the way down. Carefully transfer the carrots to the prepared baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup of water to baking pan.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake until just tender. Remove foil for last 10 minutes of cooking to brown the carrots.
In a small bowl, combine melted butter with chopped parsley.
Once finished, transfer carrots to serving tray. Drizzle with melted butter-parsley mixture and top with feta cheese. Serve warm.
Tangy Carrot Salad
4 servings | Prep time 15-20 minutes
Ingredients
3 large carrots
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 TBSP chopped cilantro
1/4 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 TSP ground cumin
1/2 TSP garlic powder
1/2 TSP salt
juice of 1 lime
Directions
Thinly slice the carrots into ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Soak in ice water until the ribbons firm and curl (about 15 minutes). Drain and pat dry.
Whisk together olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, salt and lime juice in a large bowl. Add carrot ribbons, cilantro, jalapeño and red onion and toss evenly to combine. Serve immediately or place in refrigerator. Best served cold.
Linda Arceo is the owner and content creator behind the food, drink and travel blog Giggles, Gobbles and Gulps. Linda is a digital influencer and freelance writer focusing on food, travel, lifestyle and culinary tourism. Linda’s blog can be found at www.gigglesgobblesandgulps.com and you can follow her on Instagram at @GigGobGulp.
