I thought this was tasty and something different from our usual side dishes. Use the best carrots you can find. I used CSA carrots, and I didn't peel them - just gave them a good scrub with a vegetable brush before slicing into rounds. My adaptations are in parentheses.
- 2 lbs carrots, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
- Salt for salting cooking water
- 1 cup whole milk (I used 1%)
- 1 cup Saltine cracker crumbs (I used Ritz)
- 3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup minced onion (I used caramelized onions)
- 1 Tbsp room temperature unsalted butter (I omitted)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 large eggs
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish and set aside.
- Place carrots in a saucepan and cover with an inch of water. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt to the water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Strain the carrots and purée in a food processor or with an immersion blender.
- Place carrot purée in a large bowl. Slowly add in the milk, a little at a time, whisking after each addition so that the mixture stays smooth, not lumpy. Mix in the saltine cracker crumbs, the grated cheese, onion, butter, Kosher salt, cayenne, and black pepper.
- In a separate bowl, whip up the eggs until frothy. Then whisk them into the carrot purée mixture.
- Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until puffed up a bit and lightly golden.
