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Butter-Roasted Carrots with Thyme and Lemon

Name: Butter-Roasted Carrots with Thyme and Lemon
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 portions
Ingredients: 2 pounds carrots, trimmed; 2 tablespoons butter, melted; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 3/4 teaspoon fine table salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 medium lemon

A hot oven, butter and enough room on the pan bring out the sweetness of carrots. Lemon at the end keeps them lively alongside a roast.

About 6 portions · About 40 minutes

Original recipe: 6 portions.

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Whole roasted orange and yellow carrots in a baking tray — Licensed photograph used as serving inspiration for an original Cyrus Ramsey recipe, not a photograph of a kitchen test. Cropped and resized from the original.

How much are you cooking?

Total portions to cook

About 6 portions · 2 portions now · 4 for later

Scale ingredient amounts to the portions needed; keep pan depth similar and cook in batches if crowded. Doneness, not multiplied cooking time, determines when it is ready.

For the original batch: Reserve carrots for another roast plate or chop into a reheated rice bowl within the same storage window.

Choose the total you want to cook, including any portions reserved for another meal. Repeating this dish on your calendar uses that same batch.

Ingredients

2 pounds carrots, trimmed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon fine table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 medium lemon

Method

Recipe by Heather Schiefelbein.

Heat the oven to 425°F. Scrub or peel the carrots. Halve them lengthwise; quarter thick ones so the pieces are roughly ½ inch thick. Small thin carrots can stay whole.
Toss with the butter, oil, salt, pepper and thyme on a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread in one layer with a little space; use two sheets if crowded.
Roast for 25–35 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, until browned at the edges and tender when pierced. Thin carrots finish sooner.
Squeeze half the lemon over the hot carrots, toss and taste. Serve the remaining lemon in wedges. Divide into 6 equal side portions.

Serving, later meals and useful notes

Plain orange carrots are the budget choice; the photo uses mixed colors. They need no honey or added sugar to brown and taste sweet.

Serve with meatloaf, chicken, pot roast or a bean dish. Reheat reserved carrots in a covered skillet with a splash of water, then uncover to let the edges dry, reaching 165°F.

Refrigerate promptly in shallow containers within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), at 40°F or below. Use within 3–4 days of the original cooking day. Reheat only the portions needed to 165°F; reheating does not restart the storage clock.

Estimated cost per portion

Estimated ingredient cost: $2.50–$4.00 per batch, or $0.42–$0.67 per stated portion. Ingredient-use allowance: ordinary carrots $1.50–$2.50; butter, oil, lemon and seasoning $1–$1.50. Rainbow carrots can cost more. Ingredient amounts used, including pantry seasoning; excludes companion dishes, tax and energy. Package purchases can cost more.

Photo: Los Muertos Crew / Pexels — Pexels License. Original photograph · Pexels License. Licensed photograph used as serving inspiration for an original Cyrus Ramsey recipe, not a photograph of a kitchen test. Cropped and resized from the original.