Easy Maple-Glazed Autumn Carrots With Garlic Cloves

Maple-glazed autumn carrots with garlic cloves are the perfect side dish for any Thanksgiving dinner. In fact, roasted vegetables of any kind are high on my list of favorites. One of the many things I love about them is that they have such amazing flavor – they even taste great at room temperature. This can come in handy when trying to serve everything hot for Thanksgiving dinner.

You can make these roasted carrots a day or two ahead, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and either warm them in the microwave or the oven immediately before serving. We all need a side dish or two like that at this time of year.

In addition to the natural sweetness of the carrots, did you know that carrots are also a great source of nutrients like potassium, antioxidants, and vitamin A, among many others? It’s one side dish you don’t have to feel guilty about eating!

Can I cook carrots in advance and reheat?

This is a great recipe that can be prepared and cooked in advance – preferably the day before. After roasting the carrots according to the recipe, transfer the carrots to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. To reheat, return the carrots to a baking sheet and heat them in a preheated oven set at 350 degrees until warm. Alternatively, you can microwave them for about 2 minutes or until heated through.

How do you prepare carrots the day before?

If you don’t plan on cooking the carrots the day before Thanksgiving, you can peel and cut them and then place them in a pan of cold water in the refrigerator and store overnight.  Cook them the next day according to the recipe.

How much nutritional value do carrots have?

According to WebMD, carrots are excellent sources of nutrients like potassium, antioxidants, and vitamin A, among many others. Beta-carotene, a type of carotenoid, is the nutrient that turns carrots orange and also promotes good health. It converts to vitamin A when consumed in foods and gives other fruits and vegetables their yellow or orange color. 

The equipment you need for this carrot recipe

• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Carrot peeler
• Roastingpan or baking sheet
• Large bowl
• Large skillet or Dutch oven

The ingredients

• Autumn carrots (we used yellow and orange carrots because they make such a presentation but if you prefer, use rainbow carrots which include a few purple carrots as well)
• Garlic (lots of garlic)
• Olive oil or butter (we use olive oil for this recipe)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Fresh chopped parsley for garnish (you could also use fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, or any of your other favorite fresh herbs)
• Good maple syrup 

Instructions for making maple-glazed rainbow carrots with garlic cloves

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Peel and slice the garlic into wide slivers.
3. Trim the ends of the carrots, peel them, cut them in half lengthwise, and then cut crosswise on an angle in approximately 4-inch pieces.
4. In a large bowl toss the carrots, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper and stir to coat evenly. 
5. Divide the carrot mixture evenly between two baking sheets. Roast, without stirring, until the carrots and garlic are golden brown underneath, about 30 minutes. Halfway through the roasting, switch the baking sheets on the oven rack. Make sure the bigger pieces are fork-tender and remove them from the oven.
6. Transfer the carrots to a serving bowl, drizzle with maple syrup (which gives them a beautiful maple glaze), and sprinkle the herbs on top. 

If you like this recipe, you may like these other Thanksgiving recipes:

• Roasted turkey
• Brown butter mashed potatoes
• Crispy shallots with green beans and mushrooms

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