Butter-Roasted Buffalo Carrots Recipe

While buffalo wings are often considered a must-have snack for the Super Bowl and other sporting events, non-meat eaters may feel a bit left out. With them in mind, recipe developer Tess Le Moing created this dish that she feels is "a great option to serve at your next game day party." She cooks the carrots at high heat after coating them in buffalo sauce and butter, explaining that the latter ingredient "brings out their natural sweetness and great roasted flavor and texture." There's no need to worry if the carrots look slightly burnt when they come out of the oven, as Le Moing assures us that "the slight char you get from the burnt butter makes [the dish] taste meaty."

Once the carrots are cooked, Le Moing likes to pile on some toppings. Sour cream, she says, "not only tames the heat but also adds a delightful creaminess to each bite," while blue cheese crumbles are reminiscent of the blue cheese dressing, a classic dipping sauce for Buffalo wings. Even the chopped celery leaves she sprinkles on top are a nod to the celery sticks frequently found as a wing side. This green garnish also makes for what Le Moing calls "a visually stunning dish."

The Buffalo sauce in this recipe is made from a simple combination of salted butter and hot sauce (Le Moing says she uses Frank's RedHot, but another Louisiana-style hot sauce would also work.) You're also going to need carrots and salt for this recipe, as well as sour cream, crumbled blue cheese, and celery leaves for the topping.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Combine the butter, 2 tablespoons of hot sauce, and salt in a small bowl.

Trim the carrot tops. Cut carrots in half crosswise, then cut each piece in half lengthwise.

Toss the carrots with butter-buffalo sauce, then arrange the carrots, cut side down, in an even layer on a baking sheet.

Roast the carrots on the lowest rack until well browned and slightly charred, about 20–30 minutes.

Transfer the roasted carrots to a plate.

Spoon sour cream on top, drizzle with the remaining hot sauce, then sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese and celery leaves. Serve warm.

While Le Moing touts the "delicate celery leaves [that are] are scattered over the top [of the dish] for a bright finish," the fact is, you may not have any of these on hand if you don't have celery in the house or if you buy your celery pre-cut into stalks. What's more, celery leaves do have a pretty intense flavor, so if you're not a real celery fan, you might want to choose another green garnish for this dish.

Chopped chives or green onions could add verdancy to these butter-roasted Buffalo carrots, and their pungency pairs well with blue cheese. If you like the flavors of either dill or cilantro, these could also work as carrot toppers, while parsley would be a safe pick if you want your greenery to have a milder flavor. For a more out-of-the-produce bin option, though, you might try the greens from your carrots if they came with these still attached. Carrot greens are not only edible but have a flavor that's not too dissimilar from that of celery leaves.

Whether you eat your butter-roasted Buffalo carrots as an appetizer, snack, or side dish, you may not be able to finish the entire portion in a single sitting. That needn't be a problem because Le Moing says that the leftovers should be fine in the fridge for up to 4 days.

While she notes that butter-roasted Buffalo carrots can be eaten at room temperature, you might want to take the chill off if they're fresh out of the fridge. She tells us they can be reheated in the microwave, but if you have the time, she recommends cooking them for 10 minutes in an oven set to 350 F. This, she feels, will allow them to "get their roasted flavor and texture back." As to what to do with the leftover carrots, she says they're "great tossed in a green salad," and they could also be added to soups, stews, stir-fries, rice bowls, or omelets.