Go Back
–+ servings
spoonful of baked cheesy carrot casserole
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Cheesy Baked Carrot Casserole Recipe

This Cheesy Baked Carrot Casserole recipe is an easy side dish for any dinner. Made with fresh carrots, homemade cheese sauce, and a buttery cracker topping.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dinner, holiday
Cuisine: American
Keyword: carrots, casserole, cheese, cheesy carrot casserole
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Lisa Kerhin

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds carrots (10-12 large carrots) OR 2 pounds baby carrots
  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ cup yellow onion, diced
  • ¼ cup flour
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used a mix of white and yellow sharp cheddar)
  • 1 cup crushed buttery crackers

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
  • Wash, peel, and slice carrots. Slice into bite-size pieces so they will take less time to steam and cook.
  • In a large pot, add about two inches of water and the sliced veggies. Steam the carrot 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 carrots and set aside.
  • While they are steaming, heat a 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 mix 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 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 carrots in the bottom of the baking dish. 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.

Notes

see blog post for timesaving tips