A carrot casserole recipe has been requested by a reader. I’ve never had carrot casserole, but it sounded intriguing. I researched several recipe options and settled on two. The first is made with apples, carrots and a brown sugar-crumble topping.

Apple Carrot Casserole
from TLC Cooking
6 carrots sliced
4 apples peeled cored and sliced
1⁄4 cup flour
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1⁄2 tsp. nutmeg
1 Tbsp. butter
1⁄2 cup orange juice
1⁄2 tsp. salt

I didn’t have orange juice, but I found a very small bag of frozen peaches – about a third of a cup. I heated them with 1⁄2 cup wine in a small sauce pan. I added a pinch each of dried tarragon leaves, ground turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt. I let this simmer and reduce down until the liquid cooked off.

Then I prepared the carrots and brought them to a boil with just enough water to cover. Once fork-tender, I removed from heat. Layer half the sliced apples on the bottom of a baking dish. Using a slotted spoon, layer half the carrots. Finish by layering the remaining apples and carrots. I reserved about 8 apple slices and arranged them in a spiral pattern on the top.
I added the leftover cooking water from the carrots to the peach mixture and pureed it. Then pour over the carrots and apples – again this was substituted for the orange juice.

Make a crumble by combining the flour, brown sugar, nutmeg, and butter – I also added a quarter cup of bread crumbs. Sprinkle it on top and add salt lightly. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 40 minutes.

I served it piping hot from the oven. The crumble was light and buttery, and there was a hint of sweetness from the natural sugars in the apples and carrots. Actually, this is not a dessert. However served with a scoop of ice cream, it is heavenly.

The other carrot casserole is creamy and cheesy. The ingredients are listed below. As usual ,since I consider all recipes to be guidelines, I’ve documented my alterations.

Creamy Cheesy Carrot Casserole
from Taste of Home
3 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
1⁄4 cup butter
1⁄4 cup flour
2 cups Half & Half
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1-1/4 tsp. dried mustard
1⁄4 tsp. pepper
1⁄4 tsp. celery salt
6-7 slices bread
8 oz. sharp cheddar
3 tbsp. butter

Start by peeling and slicing the carrots. I decided to also julienne one onion and mince 2 garlic cloves. Sauté the onions in butter. When nicely browned, add the garlic and flour. Stir until incorporated. Then add Half & Half, salt, onion powder, dry mustard, pepper and celery salt. I certainly didn’t measure the dry ingredients – I added what I liked, but that’s up to you. Continue to stir until the consistency is that of gravy. You have just made a béchamel sauce. (You don’t need canned creamed soup!)

Toast 6-7 slices of bread and cut into cubes. Sauté in butter until golden brown. Place sliced carrots in a 9×13″ baking dish. Cover with béchamel sauce, cheddar cheese and toasted bread crumbs.

Bake covered in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes and uncovered for 15 more minutes. Yum!