crunchy brown butter baked carrots

My strongest opinion on Thanksgiving sides is that whenever possible, they should come in a casserole dish (or its chic French cousin, a gratin). I don’t mean that your sides should be limited to things that swim in cream, cheese, butter, or a happy combination of all three — although one dish in this category is highly welcome on my table — I simply mean that sides like this, that isbaked in dishes with walls, tend to excel at holding up to resting times, reheat well, and stay warm longer.

Plus, if you’re feeling a little fearless, dishes like this are also a friend to those with one oven (hi!) and many things to reheat at once. My approach? I Jenga them. I stack rectangular and oval dishes two or three high in the oven, turning each so it steadies on the one below. Just don’t bump anything, okay?

These crunchy baked carrots are a perfect example of a side dish that keeps and reheats well. But it’s also so much more. While it’s a gratin (in the browned and breadcrumb-ed sense), the base is a brown buttery brothy sauce that’s rich but still allows the carrots to still taste like carrots. The baked carrots get tender but not mushy. Some capers stirred in near the end keep it bright. A topping of grated cheese and brown butter toasted breadcrumbs gives it a resounding crunch and exactly the correct level decadence. Together, this dish is spectacular.

But this has another cool thing up its sleeve: We make this with baby carrots. I’ve been trying lately to consider more dishes through the lens of inexpensive, readily available ingredients that are often dismissed. [See:Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi(made with frozen spinach) andThe Best Baked Spinach(now with frozen spinach updates).] If using a bag of baby carrots allows us to skip peeling and cutting into exacting batons, which absolutely nobody wants to do, we’d be crazy not to.

More pan-baked vegetable sides for your consideration:–The Best Baked Spinach–Crispy Sweet Potato Roast–Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions–Balsamic Braised Brussels with Pancetta–Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms–Unstuffed Mushroom Casserole–Potato and Leek Gratin–Simple Potato Gratin–Crusty Baked Cauliflower with Farro

Salads that hold up:–Green Beans with Almond Pesto–Date, Feta, and Red Cabbage Salad–Brussels Sprouts, Apple, and Pomegranate Salad–Cauliflower Slaw–Broccoli Slaw–Shaved Fennel and Crushed Olive Salad