Do you still need some Thanksgiving sides? Here’s one that’s easy and delicious!! Small boiler onions (a little larger than pearl onions) and carrots roasted in balsamic vinegar and butter – so rich and flavorful!

We love onions – onion soup, onion bread, fried onions – any onions ^[1]!! If your family likes them, then this is the side dish for you!

Preparing the Boiler Onions – 

Bring a medium pot of water, very lightly salted to a boil.

Add the onions, skin and all to the pot. Cook for 2-4 minutes.

Drain and cool.

After they have cooled enough to handle, pull the skins off. They should come right off if you pinch the tip of the onion.

Set them aside.

Preparing the dish – 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a small casserole dish with olive oil.

Crush the croutons and pistachios together with a mortar and pestle.

Mix all the ingredients together in the casserole and gently stir to coat the carrots and onions.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions and carrots are tender and the butter and balsamic have caramelized.

Top with the crouton and pistachio mixture. Bake for about 10 more minutes.

Remove the rosemary stems and serve warm.

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

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Boiler Onions & Carrots in Balsamic Butter

Baked together in balsamic vinegar and butter, these onions and carrots are sweet and buttery. A perfect side dish.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Thanksgiving

Keyword: balsamic, boiler, butter, carrots, onions

Servings: 4 servings

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 2 7-oz bags of raw boiler onions
• 3/4 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into slices
• 1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (skip if using salted butter)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4-5 whole rosemary sprigs
• 1 cup garlic croutons, crushed
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pistachios

Instructions

1. Start with the onions - Bring a medium pot of water, very lightly salted to a boil.

2. Add the onions, skin and all to the pot. Cook for 2-4 minutes.

3. Drain and cool.

4. After they have cooled enough to handle, pull the skins off. They should come right off if you pinch the tip of the onion. Set them aside.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

6. Crush the croutons and pistachios together with a mortar and pestle. 

7. Spray a small casserole dish with olive oil.

8. Mix all the ingredients together in the casserole and gently stir to coat the carrots and onions.

9. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until the onions and carrots are tender and the butter and balsamic have caramelized. Top with the crouton and pistachio mixture and bake another 10 to 15 minutes.

10. Remove the rosemary stems - Serve warm. 

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

Leave me a comment – I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I wanted to make a vegetable dish for Thanksgiving that wasn’t the same old standby. I love roasted carrots and the sweetness of maple syrup just goes with them. A little bit of balsamic vinegar adds a rich brightness and toasted pecans give them some crunch – and the best part is they are so easy to make!!

Here’s how you do it:

You can use any carrots, but I like the smaller whole carrots. They look as nice as they taste. Those whole carrots have a natural sweetness that “baby” carrots ^[6] just don’t.

Prepare the carrots by cutting the stems about 1/2  to one inch from the top. The fronds are edible too so save them for another dish or add them to your compost bin.

Wash and dry the carrots. No need to peel.

While the carrots are drying, toast the pecans.

Heat a heavy, dry skillet on high. Don’t add any oil. When it’s good and hot, add the pecans and shake the pan. Keep shaking until you start smelling the nut oils warming. You’ll see the pecans start to brown lightly.

Put them in a bowl to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Next, toss the carrots with the vinegar, salt, maple syrup and olive oil.

Lay them in a casserole dish and place in the oven. Roast for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and top with the brown sugar. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and return to the oven for another 20 to 30 minutes.

The carrots should be lightly browned and soft enough to pierce with a fork, but still have just a bit of crunch. The size of the carrots will dictate the timing, so keep an eye on them. Bigger carrots will take longer.

When they are done, remove from the oven and cover with foil to keep warm. They can be served hot or room temperature.

Just before serving, sprinkle the top with the pecans.

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 5 votes

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Maple Roasted Carrots

Roasted with maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and topped with toasted pecans.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: carrots, lbrown sugar, maple, pecans, roast

Servings: 4 servings

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 12 -15 small to medium whole carrots with tops (make about 2-4 carrots per person)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 to 3 Tablespoons chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Prepare the carrots by cutting the stems about 1/2  to one inch from the top. The fronds are edible too so save them for another dish or add them to your compost bin.

2. Wash and dry the carrots. No need to peel.

3. While the carrots are drying, toast the pecans.

4. Heat a heavy, dry skillet on high. Don't add any oil. When it's good and hot, add the pecans and shake the pan. Keep shaking until you start smelling the nut oils warming. You'll see the pecans start to brown lightly.

5. Put them in a bowl to cool.

6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

7. Next, toss the carrots with the vinegar, salt, maple syrup and olive oil.

8. Lay them in a casserole dish and place in the oven. Roast for about 20 to 30 minutes.

9. Remove from the oven and top with the brown sugar. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and return to the oven for another 20 to 30 minutes.

10. The carrots should be lightly browned and soft enough to pierce with a fork, but still have just a bit of crunch. The size of the carrots will dictate the timing, so keep an eye on them. Bigger carrots will take longer.

11. When they are done, remove from the oven and cover with foil to keep warm. They can be served hot or room temperature.

12. Just before serving, sprinkle the top with the pecans.

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe or to give as a gift!

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It’s been such a strange year. I cleared my garden out a couple of weeks ago and still had some vegetables on the plants. I decided they needed to be more of a fall prep – like roasted with the nuttiness of brown butter.

Here’s how you do it:

Start by prepping the vegetables. Cut the squash (I used tromboncino ^[11], but any summer squash will work) into slices and chop the pepper and tomatoes (half cherry tomatoes). I used cherry tomatoes and tiny current tomatoes. The pepper I used was a poblano, but you can use any kind.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cover a baking sheet with foil and spread the vegetables evenly over the sheet. It doesn’t matter if the shiny side is up or down. The truth is, both side heat and cook exactly the same. (The little red things are the current tomatoes.)

Place the butter in a sauce pan and melt over medium high heat. The solids will begin to separate – that’s the little white bits.

Gently stir and cook until the butter solids begin to brown, then immediately remove from the heat. Be very careful not to cook to hot or too long or it will burn and be bitter.

Pour the butter over the vegetables and gently stir.

Roast for about 20 to 30 minutes. The tomatoes should be soft and the corn starting to lightly brown. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately – roasted to perfection. This goes great with pasta and Italian sausage!

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 4 votes

Print ^[12]

Roasted Vegetables with Brown Butter

Use any kind of vegetables you like, roasted with nutty brown butter.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, garden fresh

Keyword: browned butter, butter, corn, corn on the cob, oven roasted, roasted, squash, tomato

Servings: 4 servings

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup butter
• 1-1/2 cup sliced summer squash (I used tromboncino)
• 1-1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes or chopped regular tomatoes (or a combination)
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1-1/2 cup corn kernels

Instructions

1. Start by prepping the vegetables. Cut the squash into slices and chop the pepper and tomatoes (half cherry tomatoes).

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

3. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spread the vegetables evenly over the sheet.

4. Place the butter in a sauce pan and melt over medium high heat. Gently stir and cook until the butter solids begin to brown, then immediately remove from the heat. Be very careful not to cook to hot or too long or it will burn and be bitter.

5. Pour the butter over the vegetables and gently stir. 

6. Roast for about 20 to 30 minutes. The tomatoes should be soft and the corn starting to lightly brown. Add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe or to give as a gift!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Fall is finally starting to take hold and the tomato vines are starting to wind down. I picked a basket full of ripe tomatoes and decided a pot of creamy roasted tomato ^[16] soup would make a perfect meal. And it certainly did. Served with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side, what could be more comfort?
Here’s how you do it:

The first step is roasting tomatoes. Remove the stems, rinse and dry them.

Lay the tomatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cut the top tips off of a head of garlic.  You want to make sure the cloves exposed.

Place half the basil and parsley down with the tomatoes and garlic, and drizzle the whole thing with olive oil. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of kosher salt.

Preheat the oven to 325° and roast for about 30 minutes. The tomato skins will start getting crackly and cracking across the meat of fruit.

Set aside an allowed to cool. The garlic may take a little longer. It needs to be soft enough to squeeze.

When everything is cool enough to work with, place about 1/3 of the tomatoes in a separate bowl and set aside.

Squeeze the head of garlic to push the roasted cloves out.

Put the remaining fresh herbs, roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic cloves, lemon juice and the broth to the food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.

Pour into a medium saucepan and turn it on low to start simmering.

While its simmering,  gently squeeze the tomatoes that have been set aside, pulling out the skins as the tomatoes start to get crushed. Pour these into the pan with the purée.

Mix the cornstarch with the oat milk, blending well.

Slowly stir the cornstarch and milk into the tomato mixture, stirring constantly.

Simmer on medium until the soup starts to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When it is thickened up just a little bit and it’s hot, it’s time to serve.

Serve it with croutons on the top and some fresh chopped herbs. And of course the grilled cheese sandwich on the side!

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 13 votes

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Creamy Vegan Roasted Tomato Soup

A delicious fresh from the garden soup.

Course: first course, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine: farm to table, vegan

Keyword: basil, garlic, oat milk, tomato, vegan

Servings: 4 bowls

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 3-4 pounds fresh, ripe tomatoes
• 1 medium head of garlic
• 6-8 large sprigs basil
• 8-10 large sprigs parsley
• 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1-1/2 cup extra creamy, unsweetened oat milk
• croutons and chopped herbs for garnish

Instructions

1. The first step is roasting tomatoes. Remove the stems, rinse and dry them.

2. Lay the tomatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cut the top tips off of a head of garlic.  You want to make sure the cloves exposed.

3. Place half the basil and parsley down with the tomatoes and garlic, and drizzle the whole thing with olive oil. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of kosher salt.

4. Preheat the oven to 325° and roast for about 30 minutes. The tomato skins will start getting crackly and cracking across the meat of fruit. Set aside an allowed to cool. The garlic may take a little longer. It needs to be soft enough to squeeze.

5. When everything is cool enough to work with, place about 1/3 of the tomatoes in a separate bowl and set aside.

6. Squeeze the head of garlic to push the roasted cloves out.

7. Put the fresh herbs, roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic, and the broth to the food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.

8. Pour it into a medium saucepan and turn it on low to start simmering.

9. While its gently simmering,  gently squeeze the tomatoes that have been set aside, pulling out the skins as the tomatoes start to get crushed. Pour these into the pan with the purée.

10. Mix the cornstarch with the oat milk, blending well.

11. Slowly stir the cornstarch and milk into the tomato mixture, stirring constantly. Simmer on medium until the soup starts to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste,

12. When it is thickened up just a little bit and it’s hot, it’s time to serve.

13. Serve it with croutons on the top and some fresh chopped herbs. And of course the grilled cheese sandwich on the side!

Recipe Notes

 

 

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

Who knew you could be so busy after retirement!! Well, throw back Thursday will come back next week. A little behind on everything. I’ve been working on my little garden.

Fall is on us and many things are wrapping up – and I’ve planted a few for fall harvest. If you’ve ever had a garden you know how the end of the season gives you little bits of this and little bits of that.

Here is a delicious and easy way to use the little bits in one tasty dish!

Here’s How to Do it:

Wash and clean all the vegetables.

Preheat the oven to 425° –

Lay the vegetables on a clean baking sheet or a large heavy casserole dish. You can line it with parchment paper for an easier clean up if you want. I simply laid them in a large, heavy casserole dish.

^[21]

My favorite casserole of all time!! Click on the picture for more information.

Put the fresh garden veggies on the pan in a single layer. You can use any vegetable, just cut the larger ones into the same size as the smaller ones. I used green beans, carrots, summer squash (even the blossoms), tomato, even a lone jalapeño. You can use onion, eggplant, greens, any garden fresh vegetable.

Drizzle with olive oil then top with fresh cracked pepper and sea salt.

Top the vegetables with some herbs. I used lemon verbena (from my garden). No need to cut them or remove the stems. Just put the whole sprigs on.

Cover and Roast ^[22] for about 10 to 20 minutes – depending on the thickness of the vegetables.

When they are hot and fork tender, they are done! Remove the herbs and eat!

You can add any vegetables you happen to have. Some great herb choices are thyme, rosemary, basil, chives, even mint!

Serve them up and enjoy!

© Copyright 2021 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 1 vote

Print ^[23]

Roasted Garden Vegetables

A delicious way to use little bits of veggies from the garden or left in your refrigerator.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, farm to table, garden fresh

Keyword: green beans, herbs, onions, oven roasted, peppers, roasted, squash, summer squash, sun dried tomatoes, vegetables

Servings: 4 servings

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 3-4 cups mixed, fresh vegetables
• 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
• fresh cracked pepper
• sea salt
• 1-2 handfuls fresh, whole herbs

Instructions

1. Wash and clean all the vegetables.

2. Preheat the oven to 425° -

3. Lay the vegetables on a clean baking sheet or a large heavy casserole dish. You can line it with parchment paper for an easier clean up if you want.

4. Put the fresh garden veggies on the pan in a single layer. You can use any vegetable, just cut the larger ones into the same size as the smaller ones. I used green beans, carrots, summer squash (even the blossoms), tomato, even a lone jalapeño. You can use onion, eggplant, greens, any garden fresh vegetable.

5. Drizzle with olive oil then top with fresh cracked pepper and sea salt.

6. Top the vegetables with some herbs. I used lemon verbena. No need to cut them or remove the stems. Just put the whole sprigs on. 

7. Cover and roast for about 10 to 20 minutes - depending on the thickness of the vegetables. When they are hot and fork tender, they are done! Remove the herbs and eat!

8. Serve them up and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

You can add any vegetables you happen to have. Some great herb choices are thyme, rosemary, basil, chives, even mint! 

 

 

© Copyright 2021 The Lazy Gastronome

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!