Cheesy Carrot Casserole

Cheesy Carrot Casserole Square cropped image

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5 from 12 votes

Easy side dish with fresh carrots in a cheese sauce topped with buttery crackers!

Prep Time15

Cook Time55

Total Time1 10

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 304kcal

Author: Julie Evink

Ingredients

½ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
12 large carrots peeled and thinly sliced
Topping
1 cup Ritz crackers or Panko bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons butter melted
Chopped parsley optional for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Grease a 9 x 13 inch dish with nonstick spray.
Add the thinly peeled and sliced carrots to the baking dish and set side.
In a small medium saucepan, melt ½ cup butter over medium-height. Slowly whisk in flour to butter to make a roux. Then slowly whisk in all the milk followed by your salt, dry mustard, and black pepper. Cook mixture over medium heat until it thickens about 4-5 minutes.
Add in shredded cheese, remove from heat and stir until melted.
Pour over the top of carrots in a baking dish.
Combine the Ritz crackers and melted butter in a small dish. Evenly sprinkle over the top of the cheese sauce.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.
Let stand five minutes before serving to let the cheese sauce thicken.
Garnish with chopped parsley before serving if desired.

Video

Notes

How Thick Should I Slice The Carrots?
Be sure to slice your carrots into even-sized pieces so they cook evenly. Also, they shouldn’t be too thick otherwise they will take longer to cook.

Before you take the casserole out of the oven, taste a carrot to ensure it’s tender. If it’s not, add a few minutes of baking time.

How Should I Store Leftovers?
Leftover carrot casserole will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. The sauce may not be as creamy when you reheat it, but it will be delicious!

Pro Tips

When you make the cheese sauce, make sure the flour is incorporated into the butter with no lumps before adding the milk.
When you add the milk, do this slowly while whisking. This will prevent other lumps from forming so your sauce is nice and smooth.
I love the buttery Ritz topping and the easiest way to crush the cracker is in a food processor. If you don’t have one, you can place the crackers in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Or, use panko breadcrumbs instead – they are great, too!

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