Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

Everyone knows at least one reluctant vegetable eater.  Maybe you are one... (ahem, Buddy).  Perhaps I'm being too idealistic, but I can’t accept that anyone actually hates vegetables—you just have to find the right recipe.  This particular veggie recipe is another one that’s almost too easy to blog about, but again is too special not to write about.

It's the perfect comfort food; it has a warm, velvety richness, but there's nothing complicated about this dish.  When the sky goes grey and the wind picks up, this is what I crave.  Forget chicken noodle soup--when I get sick, I want comfort from something more substantial, and these carrots fit the bill exactly.  As a matter of fact, when my sister's wisdom teeth were removed, these carrots--in mashed form--were all she ate for a week.

Now, fast forward a few years, to when Buddy and I started dating.  When I first discovered Buddy's aversion to fruits and vegetables, I was aghast!  Almost three years later, it's an ongoing mission to convert him into a veggie lover, except now it's also become a running joke.  I still get teased when I have an orange for dessert, or you know, say that pizza isn't a vegetable, and Buddy still sends me emails like this:

Link here to article on listeria-plagued cantaloupes

Even so, I like to think that I've made some progress on my vegetable crusade--thanks to this recipe.  Buddy may not remember, but these carrots are the first vegetables I've cooked for him, which he grudgingly liked, and even had seconds of.  No one can resist anything covered with melted butter and brown sugar, and I can certify that this dish is the gateway drug of veggies.  More than that though, these Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots are perfect for a cold day like today, perfect for snuggling on the couch with a bowl full of carrots and sharing them with someone you love--even if they claim to hate veggies.  

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

Adapted from my mom

Total Recipe Cost: $0.79 for 4 servings!

I use a lot more butter here than my mom does, but I’m young, and don’t have cholesterol problems—yet.  If you’re not a butter fiend, I’d definitely start with ½ T butter, and add in small increments until you reach your desired buttery-ness. 

4 large carrots

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon brown sugar

salt (almost 1/2 teaspoon)

parsley (optional)

Set water in a large pot to boil.  Meanwhile, peel and chop carrots into approximately ½” thick pieces.  Drop the carrots into boiling water, and cook 3-5 minutes, or until the carrots reach your preferred tenderness.  Drain the carrots, and return them to the pot (heat off, or very low to help the butter melt).  Add the butter and brown sugar, and stir until the carrots are evenly coated.  Salt to taste, though you’ll need more than you expect.  Top with parsley to garnish.  Serve this to the vegetable-haters in your life, and dare them not to love it!

Ingredients	Unit Cost	Total Cost
4 large carrots	$0.33/lb	$0.66
1 T unsalted butter	$0.11/T	$0.11
1 T brown sugar	$0.28/C	$0.02
salt		negligible
pepper		negligible
parsley		negligible
TOTAL		$0.79

Questions about Total Recipe Cost?  Click here!