Holiday Recipe: Sweet and Tangy Pomegranate Glazed Carrots
We are eating roasted carrots with a sweet and tangy glaze of pomegranate molasses, orange juice, Knorr Homestyle Beef Stock and Chinese five-spice.
Okay… I know what you are thinking. You are thinking, “Wtf, Amanda – it’s only October 4th and you are already posting holiday recipes?!?” I know – it’s like going into Walmart around Labor Day and seeing the Christmas decorations starting to line the shelves… but dudes! It’s already OCTOBER! Seriously – how did that happen? It really feels like it was just Christmas a month or two ago but in reality it’s almost been a full year! For me, planning holiday meals is kind of like planning a super-creative Halloween costume – it’s something that I spend all year meaning to do then the next thing you know you have less than 24 hours to come up with something ingenious and eventually you end up as a damn witch or ghost or any other played-out costume that is readily accessible from the party supply store. What? That doesn’t happen to you too? Anywhoodles, holiday meals fall in that same category. I always intend to do loads of planning and have a drool-inducing menu written out months in advance but then find myself wandering the aisles of the grocery store, hours before they are scheduled to close on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve wondering what in the world I’m gonna make. Then again, that really isn’t much different than me before every meal I make. I wander – a lot. Never have been much of a planner. 😉
This year, though, working with the Knorr Homestyle Stocks has me thinking about the holidays well in advance. I developed this carrot recipe as a holiday side-dish that would bring a big, bold flavor to the table but still be pretty healthy considering all of the butter and starches that you know you are gonna gorge on in the form of mashed potatoes and gravy… and stuffing… oooo and all that crispy turkey skin, or ham, or prime rib… and oh my gawd the desserts! Yeah – sometimes it’s good to have at least one guilt-free yet uber delicious section of your plate.
The recipe below is only four servings so it’s easy to make any night of the week, not just for the holidays. For a larger crowd, simply double (or triple) the recipes and bake the carrots in a bigger pan. The cooking time will stay the same as long as the carrots are baked in a single layer. Also, this dish can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Just cool carrots to room temperature then refrigerate until you are ready to reheat. Reheat in the oven or microwave until just heated through. Do not allow the carrots to cook further (and thus become mushy or burnt)!
*I am a professional recipe developer being paid by Knorr as part of the Knorr 4 promotion. While Knorr is footing the bill, all content and opinions comes directly from my (sometimes offbeat and slightly cheesy) brain. 😉
1/2 cup orange juice
3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tub knorr homestyle beef stock
1/4 tsp chinese 5-spice
1 tbsp butter
1 lb baby carrots
sliced green onions or chives, for garnish (option)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Add the first five ingredients to a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk sauce until the butter has melted and the Knorr Homestyle Beef Stock dissolves completely. Remove from heat.
Place baby carrots in a 8.5"x11" baking dish in a single layer. Pour orange juice mixture over carrots. Toss to coat.
Place baking dish in preheated 375 degree oven. Bake carrots 50-60 minutes, or until glazed and tender, stirring carrots & scraping the bottom of the pan with a rubber spatula every 10-15 minutes to prevent burning and help evenly glaze. Remove from oven and scrape glazed carrots into a serving dish. Garnish with sliced green onions or chives. Serve hot.
Servings: 4 side dish portions
Total cooking time: 1 hour
This sounds fantastic! Funny that you posted this today – Phil and I were playing around with Chinese Five Spice this morning. Love those flavors!
me too, nicole!!!! i can put that shit in damn near everything and be happy… now i’m not saying that i actually do that, because that would get boring, but i could! what are you guys making with it?
This looks yummy and I think my kids will like them too. Anything to get them to eat more veggies! Thanks
I have pomegranate molasses, but haven’t used it yet. This sounds like a great way to use it.
This is such a wonderful recipe, thanks! And it is true that it is great for the holidays!
It is not only the month for Halloween, but breast cancer awareness month!!! Treat yourself or a loved one because you care! I am just stopping by with a reminder to do your self breast exam.
Here’s a fun place to start! Everybody loves boob lube! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p8pIHy2GRI
OOOOH! This looks so YUMMY! The only problem is that I have never heard of pomegranite molasses. I don’t know if it would be available around here.Would it be possible to substitute regular molasses?
Thanks so much, Michelle! Actually I wouldn’t recommend using regular molasses for this. Pomegranate molasses is actually just a super concentrated syrup made from pomegranate juice! If you can buy pomegranate juice than you can easily make some yourself. If you live near any kind of middle eastern or gourmet market check their. Here is a recipe for making your own. And here is a link to an online store where you can order the molasses. Happy cooking!