Easy Maple Roasted Carrots Recipe for Thanksgiving

Keep Thanksgiving simple with these hosting tips and this mouthwatering and easy recipe the perfect side dish. Tender and slightly sweet, these maple roasted carrots make the perfect side for simple Thanksgiving entertaining you can make with just a handful of ingredients.

What You’ll Need to Make this Maple Roasted Carrots recipe

Double check your cupboards but you probably have these simple ingredients on hand making these easy to whip up for holiday dinners or your casual weeknight dinners. 

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• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Pure maple syrup — Provides the sweetness for the dish without the heaviness of honey or brown sugar. 
• Whole carrots — Using fresh carrots is essential and easy. Be sure to peel the carrots (my fav peeler) and slice larger carrots into sticks or chunks. The kind of carrots or size of the carrots doesn’t matter much. If you have a bag of baby carrots–use them. If you want to go with purple carrots for extra fanciness–go right ahead. 
• Fresh thyme — Using fresh herbs ups the level of this recipe and creates the best flavor. 
• Pink Sea salt and cracked black pepper — Don’t skimp on these–they provide a nice contrast to the natural sweetness of the carrots. Table salt and regular pepper are fine, but I love how using freshly ground salt and pepper makes things pop! 
• Sheet pan — A kitchen basic. Just make sure it’s clean. 😉 I like to top with aluminum foil for easy cleanup after a holiday dinner. 
• A hot oven. 
• 10 minutes to prep (faster if you don’t have to peel your carrots) and 25 minutes to roast. 
  

Thanksgiving is a time for the whole family to gather together and celebrate all we have to be thankful for.  I’ve stepped into the role of helping with Thanksgiving day preparations and while some aspects are intimidating, preparing for Thanksgiving as a host doesn’t have to be scary! Making all or part of the Thanksgiving day feast is a big responsibility in my book. Growing up it was always handled by my grandmothers, aunts, and of course, my Martha Stewart level mom.

Thanksgiving Preparation Tips

Get your shopping done early. 

Did you know most turkeys take days to dethaw? They do. So beat the rush and get the bulk of your shopping done at least 3-5 days in advance. This will also ensure the produce and groceries aren’t picked over by the time you get there. 

Keep decor simple.

Just by adding a few natural fall touches to your thanksgiving table, like fresh greenery (plucked from my yard and trees) and mini pumpkins the table feels festive, but not overdone.

I placed my foliage in some vintage bottles spread over a vintage tea towel (similar)…classic, yet simple holiday table and the only cost was a couple dollars in mini pumpkins. I also love splurging on a beautiful and practical serving dish which helps make your thanksgiving or christmas dinner table aesthetically pleasing. 

Prep some dishes ahead of time. 

Desserts are an easy thing to make the day before, especially pies since it is better to give them time to set up than have them hot from the oven anyways. 

My Crustless Pumpkin Pie is a classic that you can also make with a pie crust.  And it’s a great option to prep for thanksgiving dinner ahead of time! The day before is also great for cutting veggies or cheeses for a snack tray and pre-making some side dishes as well.

Ask for help. 

My mama often said, “Many hands make light work”. Don’t be afraid to ask friends or family to bring a dish, drink, or dessert for the meal. If I’m able to I always like to bring something and lighten the hostess’ load so I assume others want to do the same. 

And be sure to enlist help for clean up too! If you are doing most of the cooking, you should be doing the least clean up, in my opinion. A simple, “hey, can you help with washing the large dishes?” or “I’d love it if you could put the leftovers into the fridge for me” will help communicate your expectations and NEED for help! You can’t do it all, sister! 

Keep beverages simple. 

A few easy ideas are iced tea (sweet and unsweet), flavored or sparkling water, and a simple wine option, like this Woodbridge Red Blend. It is rich and full-bodied with notes of blackberry, vanilla, and baking spices and should pair nicely with classic holiday dishes. 

Don’t be intimidated by the turkey. 

I did quite a bit of online research and chatting with “the experts”, aka my mom and a chef friend, and while there are a lot of steps, preparing the main course of turkey wasn’t as hard as I imagined. 

First off, I was ahead of the game thanks to the turkey I selected. Butterball turkeys are all natural and the highest quality so you can be sure you are putting something that’s going to be tender and juicy on the table. My whole turkey came infused with brine, pre-trussed, and with just a bag of innards and the turkey neck inside so it was super-easvy to prepare. It also came with really clear directions for prepping, roasting (you WILL need a big roasting pan!), and even cutting the bird! 

You can also call, text, or live chat Butterball’s Turkey Talk-Line 1-800-BUTTERBALL  (1-800-288-8372) for help with everything from cooking time to checking for doneness.

Quick and easy sides for the win. 

While your traditional favorites like mashed potatoes and stuffing will always take a bit of time, I love a quick and delicious side dish like I’m sharing today– Maple Roasted Carrots. They are seriously mouthwatering and are so easy to make it is ridiculous! 

Another healthy and easy side I love is Garlic Roasted Green Beans and mushrooms! So delicious! 

You can’t beat an easy side dish that is nutritious and one of the tastiest ways to eat vegetables! For this recipe you just need a few fresh ingredients. 

I also assembled this dish all on the rimmed baking sheet so I’m dirtying less dishes too! Win-win

Recipe for Easy Maple Roasted Carrots

The roasting process really brings out the sweet flavor of the carrots and the thyme is such a nice complimentary flavor. Yum! You could also mix things up and try fresh parsley or even fresh garlic mixed in instead of the thyme. 

These are seriously the best way to eat carrots–even picky eaters will give them a try based on the smell alone! Using fresh herbs elevates this dish to “Thanksgiving level”, but it is easy enough for everyday dinners too! 

Store leftovers in airtight container for 4-5 days. When you reheat these the texture won’t be as good, but I seriously love them so much I don’t mind and like to even eat them cold straight from the fridge! 

Be encouraged if you are a first time hostess or just being “allowed” to bring one dish for the first time that you absolutely CAN do it! Think simple and keep the focus on time with family and friends and you’ll knock it out of the park! 

How will you use these turkey day tips to make your Thanksgiving easier?! 

 If you are a hostess this Thanksgiving what is your top tip for a newbie?