Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Bacon- the carrots and parsnips are roasted until golden and caramelized and coated in a sweet glaze. Lots of crumbled bacon adds a wonderful smokiness.
The carrots and parsnips are coated in a mixture of olive oil and butter for maximum flavor and seasoned with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. They are roasted for 35 to 40 minutes to really bring out their sweetness. Next they are coated with a 2-ingredient glaze made from cane syrup and orange juice.
Cane syrup can be a little difficult to find, but it has a long history in southern cooking. The main brand is Steen’s Cane Syrup and it can be ordered online. Cane syrup is made from concentrating cane juice in open kettles and it’s great for making pies and drizzling on biscuits and pancakes. It’s similar to molasses or maple syrup, but lacks the bitterness of molasses and it is thinner in consistency.
Parsnips are a much overlooked vegetable but they are one of my favorite to eat roasted. They don’t taste great raw but are wonderfully sweet when roasted. I find them to be sweeter than carrots.
Tips for making Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Bacon:
- Maple syrup can be used instead of cane syrup.
- Carrots and parsnips can be roasted a day in advance. Reheat them and add glaze and bacon just before serving.
Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Bacon makes a beautiful, healthy side dish for a holiday meal. Goes great with any type of meat.
More Holiday Sides:
- Green Bean Bundles
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Tabasco Honey Glaze
- Creamed Peas and Pearl Onions
Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 pound carrots,, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 pound parsnips,, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 tablepsoon cane syrup
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon,, cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place carrots and parsnips on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and butter. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir together to get the carrots and parsnips evenly coated with oil and butter. Then spread them out as much as possible.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Stir and then bake another 15 to 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together orange juice and cane syrup. Drizzle on top of carrots and parnips.Sprinkle with parsley and bacon.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe adpted from Taste of the South
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