Savory Parmesan Carrot Sticks (what to do with those garden carrots!)

Parmesan carrot sticks are a twist on basic roasted carrots – and they’re hard to resist!

Growing carrots requires a bit of a learning curve, I’ve found. Some years they do ok, and other years are a flop.

To be honest, I mostly grow them because my kids LOVE wriggling them out of the ground at harvest time.

This year, they did better than most (or maybe I found a winner of a variety). So I’ve been on the hunt for different ways to serve them alongside the dinner menu.

If you’ve roasted carrots before, you know how it brings out the sweetness of root vegetables.

Typically we just toss potatoes and carrots with some olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at a high temp in the oven.

But adding some Parmesan into the equation really takes basic roasted veggies to the next level!

Using Fresh Garden Carrots

This year, I added some peat moss to my carrot plot to keep the soil light and fluffy, and we did have a better yield in the end. I didn’t even try to thin them out as they grew.

We did leave them in the ground a little longer than we should have for the hot temps that came upon us early this summer.

To make use of the tiny, skinny carrots, I just chopped them up and froze them in ziplock bags to toss into soups later.

And the rest, I wanted to slice into fresh carrot sticks for easy munching from the fridge. Which, got me thinking about roasting some of them – with a twist…hence, Parmesan Carrot sticks!

Parmesan Carrot Sticks- a Simple Homestead Side Dish

I love the simplicity of roasted vegetables, as there’s really no skill required to make them.

You’ll need to cut your carrots into sticks approximately the same size, so they will cook evenly. Using both shredded and grated parmesan helps the cheese to bind to the carrots.

You can substitute olive oil for the avocado oil if you’d like. I simply love the flavor of avocado oil and try to use it whenever I have it on-hand.

If you have any garden-fresh garlic, you’ll enjoy using it in this recipe! There is nothing like the flavor of homegrown, freshly roasted garlic.

What to Serve with Parmesan Carrot Sticks

Obviously, you can serve carrots alongside a variety of dishes. I particularly like to have root veggies alongside Salisbury steak, or grilled chicken.

Add a baked potato and a salad, and you have a hearty meal- possibly all from the homestead! (Or, on a small homestead like ours, the veggies come from our garden and the beef from a local friend’s ranch.)

Parmesan carrot sticks are also a healthy snack to substitute for potato chips and the like.

You might also like:

Simple stuffed garden peppers

How to can tomato sauce

Guide to preserving vegetables