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Honey Maple Glazed Carrots Freezer Meal Side Dish

Side dishes are often overlooked when it comes to freezer cooking. But having them in the freezer as well will make dinner even easier. These honey maple-glazed carrots can be made ahead and frozen to cook up alongside your meal. sliced carrots in a bag, on a baking sheet, and served beside chicken and rice on a plateDoing the work ahead of time, especially if you make several bags of these at one time, makes suppertime so much easier. They make a perfect side dish to go along with most mains. This also makes an excellent side dish for holiday meals.

Having this side made ahead makes Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas dinner that much easier.

Carrots are a vegetable that most kids will eat, especially when sweetened with both honey and maple. Trust me, these are not a hard sell!

Since the carrots are frozen before they are cooked, they don’t take on that mushy texture that some frozen vegetables can. Mushy is not something I strive for in any of my cooking!

Honey Maple Glazed Carrots Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 tsp. maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp. honey, melted
  • 2 tsp. thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • pinch pepper

To note: 3 1/2 cups of carrots will be approximately 5 carrots, depending of course on their size.sliced seasoned carrots on a baking sheet

Assembly instructions:

  1. Peel and slice the carrots.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, toss the carrots with olive oil, maple syrup, melted honey, and all the seasonings. Make sure the carrots are well covered. Alternately, you can put the carrots in the bag and mix everything in by giving it a squish.
  3. Place it all in a medium (quart sized) resealable freezer bag. Take out the excess air and seal before freezing.

sliced carrots in a clear bag

On the day of cooking:

  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425°.
  3. Spray a cookie sheet with olive oil.
  4. Dump the contents of the bag onto the greased sheet.
  5. Put the pan in the oven for 10 minutes, stir. Return to the oven for another 12-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Carrots are done when they are tender and some of the edges are browning.
  6. Scoop the carrots into a serving bowl. Serve while still warm.

sliced carrots in a clear bag, on a baking sheet, and served next to chicken and rice on a plate

Ideas for main courses to serve with the honey maple glazed carrots:

The carrots are pictured below with Honey Sesame Chicken and rice.sliced carrots next to chicken and rice on a plate

 

Other make-ahead side dishes that may interest you:

Make-Ahead Rice Pilaf close up of make ahead rice pilaf in a bowl

Freezer Garlic Bread

 

Honey Maple Glazed Carrots Recipe
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
Course: Side Dish
Servings: 6
Calories: 75 kcal
Ingredients
  • 3 1/2 cups carrots peeled and sliced
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 tsp. maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp. honey melted
  • 2 tsp. thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. coriander
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • pinch pepper
Instructions
  1. Peel and slice the carrots.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, toss the carrots with olive oil, maple syrup, melted honey, and all the seasonings. Make sure the carrots are well covered. Alternately, you can put the carrots in the bag and mix everything in by giving it a squish.

  3. Place it all in a medium resealable freezer bag. Take out the excess air and seal before freezing.

On the day of cooking:
  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425°.
  3. Spray a cookie sheet with olive oil.
  4. Dump the contents of the bag onto the greased sheet.
  5. Put the pan in the oven for 10 minutes, stir. Return to the oven for another 12-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Carrots are done when they are tender and some of the edges are browning.

  6. Scoop the carrots into a serving bowl. Serve while still warm.
Recipe Notes

3 1/2 cups of carrots will be approximately 5 carrots, depending of course on their size.