Sweet and Crispy Roasted Carrots and Potatoes

These roasted carrots and potatoes are the perfect side dish for just about any occasion. Roasting carrots and potatoes deepens their flavor and brings out their natural sugars. This simple process gives these roasted carrots and potatoes a wonderful caramelization that gives them a sweetness and a richly brown exterior.

Why You’ll Love It

• Family-Friendly. Seems like everyone loves carrots and potatoes; and roasted carrots and roasted potatoes are even better!
• Versatile. This veggie side dish goes perfect with chicken, beef, pork, and even fish. It works for weeknights and for holidays and special occasions.
• Easy. You don’t even need to peel the carrots or the potatoes. Give them a good scrub and you are ready to cut into chunks. This cuts the preparation time tremendously.
• I like to cut potatoes into quarters or wedges depending on their size. I cut my carrots into chunks or 3-inch lengths. I then cut the thicker sections horizontally in half or into quarters so all the pieces are a uniform size.
• Parboiling. Boiling the carrots and potatoes in salted water for just 5 minutes gets the cooking process started. Then when they are baked on the sheet pan at a higher temperature, the roasted carrots and potatoes don’t dry out or get rubbery by the time they are done cooking. If you’d rather use an Instant Pot, cook them on high pressure for 2 minutes.

What to Know About the Ingredients

• Potatoes. Make sure to choose baby potatoes, not the larger Yukon gold potatoes. These smaller potatoes will get done at the same time as the carrots.
• Carrots. I recommend not peeling your carrots to save time and keep those outer nutrients. However, you can peel them if you want. Choose good quality carrots or organic carrots when not peeling. You can use baby carrots, if you prefer. Make sure to cut your potatoes a similar size.
• Pantry Staples. The remaining ingredients are everyday items you most likely have on hand — butter, oil, balsamic vinegar, dried thyme, salt, and pepper.

Tips for Great Results

1. Read through the whole recipe before you begin.
2. Cut the carrots and potatoes into equally sized chunks.
3. Parboil your veggies to give them a head start. They will roast faster without drying out.
4. Leave space between the roasted carrots and potatoes on the baking sheet so they roast and not steam.
5. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. This is the ideal temperature to caramelize the vegetables without overcooking or drying them out.
6. Test the roasted carrots and potatoes as you near the end of the baking time. You want a caramelized exterior and tender interior without burning. The size and seasonality of the vegetables will determine the cook time.

Variations

• Add halved frozen brussels sprouts to the roasted vegetables combination.
• Cut a small red onion into wedges and combine that with the veggie mixture.Use 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup in place of the honey.
• Use an equal amount of dried rosemary in place of the thyme.
• Use fresh herbs in place of dried. You will need about 3 times the amount of fresh herbs compared to dried.
• Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic to the melted butter in step 4. Cook for 30 seconds, then continue with the remaining instructions.
• You can double the recipe but you may need to use 2 sheet pans so there is adequate space between the vegetables.

Serving Suggestions

• Deliciously Lean and Tender Rump Roast
• Roasted Chicken Thighs
• Amazing BBQ Ribs in the Oven – Fast and Fuss-Free
• Juicy Smoked Whole Chicken
• Oven Baked Salmon