Cheesy Baked Carrot Casserole

This Cheesy Baked Carrot Casserole recipe blends the natural sweetness of carrots with rich, melty cheese sauce for a savory side that’s both hearty and wholesome. Each bite is an explosion of flavors and textures, from the tender cheesy carrots to the crunchy buttery cracker topping. It’s the kind of dish that can turn a simple meal into a special occasion.

Casserole recipes bring convenience and warmth to the table, and they usually are my favorite comfort foods. This carrot casserole with Ritz crackers has that cozy factor and is easy to make. It’s perfect to serve for holiday dinners or any weeknight meal.

Around the holidays, most people think sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole to serve but a Carrot Bake offers a fresh take on a side dish. Carrots bring a natural sweetness that’s baked in a homemade cheese sauce. Of course, a casserole isn’t complete without a crunchy topping and this one has toasted cracker bits. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, savory and rich.

Cheesy Baked Carrot Casserole

I used a bag of whole large carrots that I peeled and sliced into thin circles using a mandoline, steaming them until tender-crisp. The sauce is a basic cream sauce, easy to make with pantry items and two kinds of cheddar cheese. The most time-consuming task is slicing the vegetable, but you can save time by using a bag of pre-sliced from the grocery store. If you’re looking for fancy carrot recipes, this is a must-make one!

Timesaving Tips and Variations

• Take a shortcut and buy the already-sliced carrot coins from the produce section.
• If you wish to use frozen, thaw and drain them first – do not cook them, simply add them as directed in the recipe card.
• You can use 2 pounds of baby carrots in place of the large fresh ones. Cut the larger ones in half – steam until tender-crisp as well.
• Sometimes I add minced garlic.
• Use your favorite cheeses. Swiss would be wonderful, as would extra sharp cheddar or an Italian blend.
• Regular breadcrumbs or Panko breadcrumbs can be substituted for crackers.
• If you have leftover stuffing mix, you can use that in place of the crackers.
• Add a handful of peas, thinly sliced zucchini, or broccoli florets for a colorful variation.

With these quick tricks, you can enjoy a delicious, comforting tasty dish with less effort and more time to savor each cheesy, flavorful bite.

Can I use baby carrots for this recipe?

Yes, you can use baby carrots for this recipe. Cooking them until they’re about halfway tender. Larger baby ones may need to be halved. You can also use frozen, just thaw them out and drain them well first. No need to cook frozen ones as they are already partially cooked.

More Vegetable Casseroles

Serve these delicious sides with just about any entree or as a main entree with a nice tossed salad.

• Slow Cooker Glazed Carrots
• Cheesy Broccoli Casserole
• Easy Ratatouille Casserole
• Mom’s Squash Casserole
• Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

💡Explore my favorite Kitchen Essentials (Amazon affiliate link)

Recommended Tools for this Cheesy Carrot Casserole

The kitchen essentials are common items that you would use. I’ve linked to a few of my favorites.

This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, see my disclosure policy.

• 13 x 9-inch baking dish
• Vegetable peeler
• mandoline or food processor
• large saucepan or large soup pot
• Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
• whisk
• measuring cups and spoons
• pot holders

With just a few basic tools, you’ll be all set to make this comforting dish.

Ingredients

Everything that is needed you can easily find at your grocery store. The spices (nutmeg and dry mustard) are found in the baking aisle.

• fresh large carrots
• unsalted butter
• yellow onion
• flour
• salt and pepper
• dry mustard
• ground black pepper
• ground nutmeg
• milk
• sharp white and cheddar mix
• Ritz crackers

How to make Cheesy Carrot Casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Wash, peel, and slice carrots. Slice into bite-size pieces so they will take less time to steam and cook. I used this mandoline to get uniform slices.

In a large pot, add about two inches of water and the sliced veggies. Steam the vegetables until they are fork-tender but not mushy (about 8 – 10 minutes). You want them to still have a little crunch to them. The oven will finish cooking them to perfection. Drain and set aside.

While the vegetables are steaming, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter and add the onions. Cook the onions until soft. Add the salt, pepper, dry mustard, and nutmeg; mix.

Add the flour and whisk to make a paste. Cook for about a minute.

Slowly add the milk to the skillet, whisking continually until all the milk has been added. This is the roux (the thickening mixture) for the cheese sauce and it will be thin at first but as it cooks, it thickens nicely. Be sure NOT to dump all the milk in at once. This will result in a very lumpy sauce.

Cook the sauce over medium heat for about five minutes, or until thickened. Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Stir until completely melted into the sauce.

Place cooked carrots in the bottom of the baking pan and pour the sauce evenly over them.

Sprinkle the crushed cracker crumbs over the top and bake for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. The top will be golden brown. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

This would be wonderful to serve for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinners. It’s even worthy enough for Sunday dinner!

If you’re looking for recipes for sliced carrots, this is a tasty way to turn simple ingredients into something special. Don’t let this delicious recipe slip through your fingers! Print it out and add it to your recipe box.

Printable Recipe Card

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