Creamy Cheesy Carrot Casserole

What happens when you bake extra sharp cheddar cheese, baby carrots and flavored croutons together all in one dish? You get this amazingly tasty, supremely addicting Creamy Cheesy Carrot Casserole. This is the perfect side for your next holiday meal that everyone will be talking about!

Why We Love It

I am always looking for new ways to include cheddar in my meals because it is one of our favorite cheeses. So when I stumbled upon this little gem in my Nana's recipe box (from the good old days, when everything tasted better), I just had to give it a try.

At first, I must admit I was a little skeptical, because typically I don't think of carrots when I think of cheese. Then there's the croutons that get folded into this dish. How many times do you see that in a baked casserole recipe?

Thankfully, my family is always willing to take a chance when cheese is involved. With a few tweaks and changes, we now have one heck of a tasty side dish that goes so well with chicken, pork and turkey. This Creamy Cheesy Carrot Casserole is definitely making an appearance at our next Thanksgiving, along with Cheesy Rice Zucchini Casserole and Pickled Red Beet Salad!

So what's so great about this Creamy Cheesy Carrot Casserole? Well, for starters, it's supremely creamy. The extra sharp cheddar, butter and light cream work so well together to envelop the sweet, baby carrots in a rich, cheesy sauce. There's also a nice zing from the extra sharp cheese and Worcestershire. And the crunch of the croutons (which surprisingly hold up well even when this is made ahead of time) takes this dish to the next level.

My family loves the texture and cheesiness and I love the fact that we're eating cooked carrots! Win-win!

Why You'll Love It

If you love cheesy dishes that are also packed with vitamins, you will love Creamy Cheesy Cheddar Casserole! Plus, this is an excellent way for your family to eat more carrots--YAY! There is minimal effort in making this dish other than pre-cooking the carrots (and honestly, that really isn't much work). This dish also holds up well (even if it's made several hours ahead of time) which comes in handy for busy weeknights and for holiday meal planning.

Creamy Cheesy Carrot Casserole goes so well with chicken, pork or turkey. And, because it has a starch as well as a vegetable (not to mention creamy, cheesy awesomeness), there's no need for a second side for a weeknight family meal. Just park it on the plate next to your protein and you're good to go!

Creamy Cheesy Carrot Casserole Ingredients

• 4 cups (about 2 pounds) cooked, sliced baby carrots- baby carrots are sweeter and already peeled--fresh carrots are also better over frozen because they have more flavor and also aren't as mushy
• 2 cups cheddar and garlic flavored croutons- adds a wonderful crunch and flavor to this dish
• 1 cup grated, extra sharp cheddar cheese- provides a superb creaminess with a little bit of tang. Choose to grate it yourself rather than buying shredded, which has a waxy coating that affects the cheese's taste
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten- help to hold all the goodness together
• 1/4 cup light cream- adds to the creaminess, without going overboard
• 1/4 cup butter, melted- provides additional flavor
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce- adds a robust tang to the sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt- accentuates the flavors

How to make Creamy Cheesy Carrot Casserole

You'll want to gather the following equipment:

• cutting board
• chef's knife
• large pot with lid (for the carrots)
• colander
• 2 quart baking dish, greased with canola spray
• cheese grater
• medium, microwaveable safe bowl (for melting butter and mixing)
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons

Before starting:

• Slice carrots
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees

To get started, cook sliced carrots on your stovetop until just tender. This usually takes about 15 minutes (check with a fork periodically). Drain in colander and allow to cool slightly.

Kitchen Ready Betty tip: While the carrots are cooking, I grate the cheese to save time!

Once the carrots are slightly cooled, pour them into a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Then add the grated cheese and mix.

Next, add the croutons and mix.

Melt the butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl (covered with plastic wrap with a little gap for venting).

Cool slightly, then add the light cream to the bowl and stir.

Add the slightly beaten eggs, Worcestershire sauce and salt; stir to combine.

Pour sauce over carrot mixture, making sure that the croutons on top are coated.

Kitchen Ready Betty tip: At this point, you can cover the dish and place it in the fridge to bake later, or proceed with the next step!

Bake, uncovered, in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until slightly brown.

Let stand 5 minutes, then serve and enjoy!

Creamy Cheesy Carrot Leftovers?

Refrigerate, store in an airtight container and enjoy within 5 days.

Because of the croutons, freezing isn't recommended.

To reheat, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.