Remember all those carrots I pulled from the garden last week? Well, they've been used in quite a few things thus far and I wanted to share one of them with my readers. This is a casserole recipe and ultimately my readers know what I'm going to say about it... play with the recipe! Make it yours! Add, delete and change as you see fit.
Originally this recipe called for squash. Since I have an over abundance of carrots but no squash, let's give a go. Look at the brilliant color of orange those carrots are in the photo above. Let me also add that this photograph is not retouched. That is the true color of the carrots in the mixing bowl as I started to mix the ingredients together. The sun was streaming through the window and the carrots almost glowed with a brilliance you only see in gems. Gorgeous.
Carrot Casserole
2 pounds carrots, cubed, chunks or sliced
1 c water
1 medium sweet onion
2 T butter, melted
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c Ritz Crackers, or similar buttery flavor cracker, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbed
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c more buttery crumbs for a topping (optional)
Combine the carrots and water in a saucepan and cook about 15 minutes until just tender. Drain and mash just a little bit to give it a mixed texture. Saute' onion in butter until translucent but not brown. Combine all ingredients in a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 c crumbs if preferred, bake uncovered at 350 for about 40 minutes until hot completely through and golden brown on top.
