Sweet Carrot Casserole Recipe

If autumn had to be summed up in a color, it would have to be orange. It's the color of autumn leaves at their peak. All throughout the season, pumpkin stands dot the roadways. And no sooner are we throwing out the last Halloween candy wrapper, and we're already dreaming of pumpkin pie, yams, and that sweet carrot casserole side that mom always serves on Thanksgiving — the one with the sweet potatoes and the raisins and the pecan-crusted top. Most of us are familiar with some version of this sweet and savory combination of warm root vegetables under a cinnamon-scented glaze.

"Every November I do a 'Holiday Sides'-themed cooking class, and I find that most people want a sweet and savory carrot vegetable side," recipe developer Miriam Hahn says. So Hahn gives the people what they want. But because she's a wellness coach as well as a recipe developer, Hahn likes to maximize the flavor while minimizing the sugar. That's where the secret ingredient in this recipe comes into play, and yes, it's orange. In fact, it is an actual orange. "Typical recipes like this have twice the amount of sugar," Hahn explains, but for this dish the glaze has less because of the natural sweetness of orange juice and sweet golden raisins. 

Further, instead of burying the gorgeous vitamin A-rich root veggies under a heavy pecan streusel, Hahn scatters chopped pecans on top, and lets the Maillard reaction do the rest. 

To make Hahn's recipe for sweet carrot casserole, you will need, first and foremost, carrots and sweet potatoes. Specifically, you'll need 10 medium carrots and three medium sweet potatoes, which you will boil to get them nice and tender before topping them with the glaze we talked about above. Then, you will let them bake and caramelize in a casserole dish or a 9x12-inch baking pan. For the glaze, you will need the juice of one orange (Hahn has instructions for that below), ¼ cup of unsalted butter (i.e., half a stick of butter), ½ cup of brown sugar (packed), ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of nutmeg, and ¾ cup of golden raisins. For the grand finale, as promised, you will top the glaze with ½ cup of chopped pecans.

Rinse off the sweet potatoes and the carrots. Leave the skins on both for the moment. Grab a large pot, and place the sweet potatoes and carrots into the pot. Add enough water to the pot to reach three-quarters of the way to the top. Set the heating element to high, and all the water to come to a boil. At that point, lower the heat to medium, and set a timer for 15 minutes. The sweet potatoes and carrots should be "just tender." (The prongs of a fork should easily penetrate their flesh, but the flesh shouldn't be falling apart.) 

Assuming they are "just tender," you'll want to pour out the water, and allow the sweet potatoes and carrots to cool in a colander in the sink. In the meantime, spray a casserole dish or 9x12-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.

When the sweet potatoes have cooled enough so that they won't burn your fingers (which should take just a few minutes), peel them with a vegetable peeler, and then use a chef's knife to cut the sweet potatoes crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. Place the sweet potato slices in the prepared dish or pan. Then, cut the carrots crosswise into 1-inch chunks. Place the carrots in the pan with the sweet potatoes, and lightly toss to distribute evenly.

Grab a small saucepan, because it's time to make the glaze for this sweet carrot casserole. Put the butter, sugar, raisins, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the saucepan, and juice the orange directly into the saucepan (as shown above). Turn the heat to medium-low, and stir as the butter melts. 

When the butter has fully melted, pour this glaze over the potatoes and carrots, and toss to coat. Top with the chopped pecans, and pop your casserole into the oven for 25 minutes. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes before serving.