Mom's garlic-butter carrots
a tradition
I have eaten these carrots at least 1000 times. They’ve graced every Christmas/Easter/Thanksgiving table my mom has ever hosted, plus a million other meals she made growing up… after piano recitals when I was little, or, later on, when I would come home from college.
I love them. And now I’m sharing them with you!
The concept isn’t so unique: add garlic and butter to vegetables, and ta-da! they’ll taste great! But people so rarely do this with carrots. (When’s the last time you had a bowl of carrots as a side dish?) They really taste better than they should— like, there is an unreasonable amount of deliciousness packed into these little things.
Can I pause here to say that everyone deserves a little help with the huge task of feeding a family? Let me take a few chores off your hands — no more hunting for recipes, no more meal-planning or grocery-listing! You’ll get a weekly Friday menu — recipes and a full grocery list for 4 meals every week (and Instacart lists, too, for when you need the convenience!) for just $2 per week. Think of all the things you could be doing instead of meal-planning!
Back to the carrots: the trick behind their deliciousness is that they’re sliced super thin (you’ll want a food processor for this recipe!) When they’re done, they’re buttery, salty, sweet, and tender, with each tiny carrot slice equally covered in glory. What I’m saying is, surface area matters, and we have absolutely maximized its potential with this recipe. And they cook up really quickly, too.
I really hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Mom’s garlic-butter carrots
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8-10 (⅓ cup servings; pictures show a double batch)
For Dietary Restrictions
Gluten free: this recipe is gluten free
Dairy free: use a butter substitute (recommended) or olive oil
Kids Can Help
Peel the garlic & carrots, wash and dry the parsley, run the food processor (with supervision, of course!)
Ingredients
2 lbs of carrots
6-8 garlic cloves
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp kosher salt
fresh parsley (about 1/2 cup minced)
Directions
Step 1
Peel the carrots and cut off the tops; peel the garlic.
Step 2
Mince the garlic (you can do this by hand, or use the chopping attachment on your food processor).
Step 3
Using a food processor, slice the carrots.
Step 4
In a medium-sized saucepan, melt 3 Tbsp of butter. Add the minced garlic and carrot slices and cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes until starting to soften, stirring often.
Step 5
Add 1 tsp of salt and stir, then lower heat and cover. Cook on low for another 6-8 minutes until the carrots are tender.
Step 6
Wash, dry, and mince the parsley (you’ll need about 1/2 cup). Sprinkle over the carrots just before serving.
