Maple Roasted Carrots, Apples, and Onions (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

Autumn has arrived and Thanksgiving is coming up fast. If you are hosting your family dinner or taking a dish to another home, today’s Maple Roasted Carrots, Apples, and Onions, with just seven ingredients, is the perfect side dish and one that will win you rave reviews. While it may not be a combination of ingredients that you normally would think to put together, they blend beautifully.

This article is part of the Food Network’s Fall Fest, a celebration of vegetables that are in season and fresh at your farmer’s market or grocery store. Today we are celebrating carrots, the popular root vegetable that is sometimes the scourge of childhood  dinner tables but becomes a delight as you grow older (this was me). I love the natural sweetness of carrots and often look for ways to highlight it.

If you have been looking for a slightly sweet holiday side dish that isn’t as cloying as sweet potatoes with marshmallows, something a little more “adult” and healthier, this is the one for you. If you want to kick it up a little more (especially if you are not having any children at your dinner), try using 1 to 2 tbsp of bourbon for part of the orange juice. I also think a little grated fresh ginger would be lovely and add just a hint of heat while not taking away from the delicate sweetness.

I have loved the combination of carrots, dill and maple syrup for years. You can use any type of maple syrup you like, but I strongly suggest you avoid “pancake syrups.” They are full of fake flavors that are far too strong and will overpower the delicate carrots and apples. I recommend you get 100% pure Grade-A maple syrup.

Growing up I thought maple syrup only came from Vermont (they do make wonderful syrup there) but when I visited Columbus, Ohio, I discovered that it can be made anywhere that maple trees grow. Who knew? 

I used orange juice and maple syrup in this recipe, which is a really nice combination. If you are using freshly squeezed orange juice, you might want to increase the maple syrup slightly. Conversely, if you are using prepared orange juice, you can lower the amount of maple syrup to compensate for the added sugar.

The only challenge with this recipe is figuring out how to cook two such different ingredients, carrots and apples, and have them both turn out perfectly. The trick is to start cooking the carrots and onions first, because they are denser and take longer, and then adding the apples and finishing the baking so that everything comes out at the right texture.

Another trick is to make sure all the carrots are about the same size so they cook evenly and to cut the onions and apples slightly larger. If you like your vegetables more on the crisp side, reduce the time the carrots and onions cook before adding the apples.

 

Make sure you check out the incredible recipes listed below from the other bloggers also participating in Food Network’s Fall Fest. 

These Maple Roasted Carrots, Apples, and Onions are a nice change of pace and could become a new family Thanksgiving favorite that is good all year long. The Artist and I shared a half recipe of these carrots and apples last night for dinner along with a beautiful green salad, I easily could have eaten the entire batch. I am certain that it will be making a repeat appearance at this year’s Thanksgiving dinner in our house!

Enjoy and have a lovely weekend!!

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a star rating, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day. I love hearing from you!

Ingredients needed for Maple Roasted Carrots, Apple, and Onions:

• Olive oil, carrots, onion, orange juice
• Dill, apples, pure maple syrup

 

PRO Tip:

For a faster option, use your food processor to slice the carrots and onions. Cut the carrots into pieces short enough to stand up in feed tube for coins; cut to fit sideways in the tube for strips. Trim and set the onions so they are cut lengthwise.

 

How to make Maple Roasted Carrots, Apple, and Onions:

1. Cut the carrots into strips or coins. If you are using baby carrots, reduce the heat by 25-degrees. Cut the onion lengthwise into wedges and layer in oiled au gratin dishes alternating with the carrots.
2. Pour in the orange juice, brush with remaining oil, sprinkle with chopped fresh dill and salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes. While they are baking, cut the apples into thin wedges.
3. Remove the au gratin dishes from the oven and carefully insert the apples in between the vegetables. Drizzle with the maple syrup and return to the oven to finish baking for another 20 minutes or until golden brown and carrots are tender.
4. Serve, drizzled with some of the pan juices, and another sprinkling of dill if desired.

 

PRO Tip:

When you cut onions lengthwise (through the ends), they will hold their shape better and longer for more texture in the finished dish. Onions cut crosswise (through the “equator”) tend to melt as they cook.

 

Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):

• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Citrus reamer
• Au gratin dishes
• Pastry brush

 

Gluten-Free Tips:

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

 

 

 

Check out the other recipes in this week’s Fall Fest!

Feed Me Phoebe: Root Vegetable and Black Bean Chili
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Roasted Carrots With Chile and Agave
Haute Apple Pie: Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins
And Love It Too: Vegan Carrot Cake Coconut Macaroons
Virtually Homemade: The Silver Palate’s Carrot Orange Soup
FN Dish: Best Carrot Sides for Thanksgiving

 

Create a New Tradition Today!

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