If you’re in the market for the world’s easiest holiday side dish, here you go.
FOUR ingredients, 10 minutes of prep, total, crunchy perfection.
Unsurprisingly, I’m feeling a bit crazed right now. Between last-minute Christmas shopping, endless baking, year-end deliverables, and watching all my favorite holiday movies (v important), life feels a bit “much” right now. So for once I’m going to be brief and break down this recipe in a hot new york minute. Because when food is THIS simple, you don’t need much time to explain it.
The joy of this recipe isn’t just the minimal components + labor, though those aspects certainly help. It’s that this sweet, salty, painfully EASY side can be prepped ahead of your Christmas festivities!
Meaning less fuss, more ‘nog, and happiness to all.
You start by browning butter, which is a complicated-sounding process that’s actually really simple. I swear by How Sweet Eats brown butter tutorial, and every time my butter comes out perfect. Follow her lead, don’t get sassy — overconfidence is a brown butter killer — and 5 minutes later this recipe is half-way finished.
Once the butter is browned and aromatic as hell, pour it over trimmed & halved carrots, season, then roast for 25 minutes. I think petite carrots are sweeter and cuter, so I say go for them if you can. Plus — that rustic, multi-color look? A total tablescape stunner.
Once the carrots are crisp, golden, and perfectly roasted, top with crushed pistachios + tons of honey, then serve! The end result is a cozy, comforting, texture-rich dish that pairs perfectly with ham, turkey, chicken, beef wellington, whatever!
It’s a truly universal side dish that fits on any Christmas table. Not to mention it’s rather pretty, too. xo
FYI: “trimmed” means slicing off the bitter tops (where the green spouts out) and the tips of the carrots, not peeling them!