It wouldn't be a Kellar Family Holiday Dinner without this Carrots on Parade Recipe for an Easy Holiday Side and today I'm sharing my version of this carrots recipe with you! Made with fresh herbs, lightly mashed carrots, and homemade breadcrumbs, this is a casserole style dish that is fit for special occasions.
My husband's family has been making this for years for every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner and it's a side dish that will make an appearance at our holiday dinner table this year alongside our roast turkey. Scroll down to see how we make this easy recipe and don't forget to print or pin the recipe card to add this to you holiday menu!
The Perfect Thanksgiving Side Dish
I first learned of Carrots on Parade in the Kellar Family Cookbook, a collection of stories and recipes from my husband's family. This book is a treasure trove of family history and the recipes that filled their table. I've always appreciated the amount of thought and care that went into writing it. It's also inspired me to write something similar to capture my family's history and favorite recipes.
Found in a newspaper article clipping more than 50 years ago, the original recipe is made from mashed carrots, American cheese, milk, breadcrumbs, and garlic powder. Here, we cut back on the cheese and add in a bit of fresh herbs and créme fraîche crafting a bright and herby balance for the root vegetables. You'll love the adaptations I've made here too.
Ingredients for This Healthy Side Dish
This recipe serves 6 and is the perfect way to savor the carrots' natural sweetness. Here's what we'll need:
We'll start with 3 large whole carrots, peeled and roughly diced into 1 inch chunks, that we'll boil the fresh carrots to soften ever so slightly. I like to think of it as cooking pasta--just al dente. Then we'll lightly mash them before mixing in the rest of the ingredients. For this recipe, you can also swap for baby carrots or to add some pops of color, try a mix of regular carrots and rainbow carrots.
For our binder ingredients, we'll lean on an egg, a bit of grated gruyere, and créme fraîche. You could use plain Greek yogurt in lieu of the créme fraîche. But, I find the latter has the best flavor in this dish. For the cheese swaps, Point Reyes Toma is also really good here for a cheese that melts beautifully while imparting delicious flavor.
As for seasonings, we'll leverage a spice blend of garlic powder and onion powder. Fresh flavors are also afforded to this dish by way of chopped fresh parsley, thyme, and chives.
How to Make Carrots on Parade
Begin by preheating oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a 7x6” (or half-quart capacity) baking dish with butter or olive oil. Set to the side.
Next, bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Add the diced carrots and boil until fork tender, about 7 minutes. Drain and add the carrots to a large mixing bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, lightly mash the carrots. They should still hold a little bit of their structure and not completely mash like potatoes.
To the same bowl, we'll add the egg, breadcrumbs, grated cheese, seasonings, and chopped fresh herbs. Stir to combine it all together.
Pour in the mixture into the greased baking dish in a single layer. Place on a baking sheet for ease of transport. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the 350 F oven until edges are golden brown and center is set.
More Recipe Ideas for Your Holiday Table
Carrots on Parade Recipe
Equipment
- 1 7.5x6 inch; baking dish These Bakers are Great!
Ingredients
- 3 large carrots peeled and roughly diced into 1 inch chunks
- 1 cup grated gruyere or Toma cheese
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup créme fraîche
- 1 cup bread crumbs brioche, sourdough, French, are good options
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs parsley, thyme, chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a 7x6” (or half-quart capacity) baking dish with butter or olive oil. Set to the side.
- Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Add the diced carrots and boil until just fork tender, about 7 minutes. Drain and add the carrots to a large mixing bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, lightly mash the carrots. They should still hold a bit of their structure and not completely mash like potatoes.
- To the same bowl, add the egg, breadcrumbs, grated cheese, seasonings, and chopped fresh herbs. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the mixture and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until edges are golden brown and center of casserole is set.
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