It may not be completely obvious what these are. Because this is some next level carrot action! Have you heard of pigs in a blanket? Little smoky sausages in a crispy crust? Well, these are little smoky carrots in a crispy crust! Baked, not fried, and containing hardly any fat. How on earth did I come up with this? It falls into the category of having to find out if it could possibly work. I read the basic recipe in The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever, and having also been on a Sheet Pan Suppers bender, I decided to make them on a baking sheet instead of in a casserole dish, thinking the shallow sides would allow more air circulation to add crispiness. I also added a hit of smoked paprika, which made a huge difference in turning them into a super-savory snack. They’d be really good with some sort of dip, but we didn’t wait for that – we ate them right off the pan, standing up in the kitchen! Don’t judge us until you’ve tried this fun little appetizer for yourself!
- ½ lb. (1/2 bag) baby carrots (more or less, just keep going until you run out of batter)
- ¼ c. milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- ½ c. all-purpose flour
- Olive oil cooking spray (good quality - you can use a Misto with your own oil, if you have one)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the egg and milk in one shallow bowl, and mix the flour, smoked paprika, and salt in another shallow bowl.
- Dip each carrot in the egg mixture, then in the flour mixture, and lay flat on the baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart (not squashed together).
- Spray the tops of the carrots generously with olive oil. You basically need enough oil that they don't look super-floury. Bake until the carrots are tender and the coating is crispy, about 45 minutes. Eat 'em right away! Enjoy!!
