Instead Of Parmesan Roasted Potatoes, Break Out The Carrots

Parmesan roasted potatoes have become all the rage, thanks partly to viral TikTok clips that showed how delectable potatoes could be with a delicious parmesan crust. Not to be outdone, carrots can become a delicious treat by employing a similar recipe. TikToker Stella Drivas garnered much attention when she shared her parmesan roasted carrot recipe. 

The carrots are more savory than the traditional baked carrot with olive oil and garlic. In the TikTok, she gave bare bones instructions which included slicing the carrots into small pieces and then combining olive oil, garlic, grated parm, and various spices for flavor. What helps put these parmesan roasted veggies over the top is that in addition to the grated parm in the mixture, she then dips the flat side of the carrot into even more freshly grated parm. Then she cooks them for 25 minutes and gets carrots with an ultra-crispy parmesan crust.

Over on the website Hungry Happens, Drivas shares a complete recipe for the tasty carrot dish. It involves mixing the carrots with 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with 4 minced garlic cloves and ¼ cup of grated parmesan, plus a mixture of spices including paprika, chili powder, onion powder, and salt to taste. The oven is then preheated to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and the carrots are spread out on a baking sheet. However, other cooks have differing approaches to parmesan roasted carrots for perfect crispiness.

Popular TikToker Ayeh Manfreh of Cooking with Ayeh had a different approach to her parmesan roasted carrots. Instead of spreading the carrots out on the baking tray, Ayeh suggested grouping them close together so there was no space between the carrots. Plus she coated the tray with extra parmesan before placing the carrots down. This ensured that every carrot's bottom was carefully coated in the crunchy parmesan mixture.

Meanwhile, at Time for the Table, they had a similar recipe as the two mentioned above but with some differences. They suggested only using ½ cup of parmesan and limiting the cooking time to 20 minutes. This was to keep the parmesan mixture on the bottom of the carrots from going from crispy to entirely burned.

Another chef, Leigh Anne Wilkes, had a workaround to avoid burning the parmesan on the carrots. Wilkes's recipe calls for the carrots to be cooked at only 400 degrees but for 30 minutes. The carrots are supposed to be cooked for the first 20 minutes without any parmesan and then taken out of the oven. Add 4 tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan cheese and cook the carrots for 10 more minutes. This way, the parm will not burn. 

Luckily, this tasty parmesan roasted recipe is diverse enough to use on other vegetables. 

One of the draws of the parmesan roasted carrots is that the recipe can be applied to other vegetables. Broccoli is an excellent, crunchy vehicle for parmesan and garlic. Cut up one and a half pounds of broccoli florets and place in a bowl. The broccoli must be cut into similar sizes to the carrot recipes. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 minced garlic cloves and mix all together, per Simply Recipes. Place the florets on a baking tray and cook for 16 to 20 minutes at 425 degrees. While this recipe suggests mixing a ¼ of parmesan after the broccoli has finished cooking, you can add the parmesan in the last 5 minutes of cooking to get that nice crisp finish.

If you have extra carrots and are searching for a sweeter side dish, you can bake them with brown sugar and still get tasty, crispy edges. Chop up 2 to 3 pounds of carrots and set aside to prepare a sweet glaze, as suggested by Sweet and Savory Meals. Mix 4 tablespoons of melted butter with two tablespoons of olive oil. Add 3 tablespoons of brown sugar along with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, plus desired seasoning. Combine the glaze and carrots and place on a baking sheet. Cook at 415 for 30 minutes, flipping the carrots after 20.