Try carrots instead of sweet potatoes for hearty casserole

What are you serving for Thanksgiving dinner? Do you have room for a delicious new side dish? Today's recipe is styled after my favorite sweet potato casserole, but it isn't as sugary and uses carrots as the star attraction instead of sweet potatoes.

I like how easy this casserole comes together. Don't let the total cooking time fool you. This is super-easy. For more than half the time, the carrots are either cooking on the stovetop or baking in the oven, so you are free to make the rest of your meal.

This dish also travels well. Simply keep the topping separate from the casserole until you are ready to bake and add it right before the dish goes in the oven. Oven space can be at a premium this time of year, so you can also bake the casserole ahead of time and then cover it with foil to reheat in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or until heated through. (The texture changes when you freeze it, so freezing is not recommended.)

I hope you enjoy this twist for a Thanksgiving side dish as much as we do. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Sweet Carrot Casserole

Start to finish: about 45 minutes prep and 45 minutes unattended baking time

Yield: 8 servings

Filling:

2 pounds whole carrots

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup half-and-half

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Topping:

2 cups cornflakes, crushed (for 1 cup crumbs)

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, melted

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup raisins

Trim the ends and slice the carrots into 2-inch pieces and place in a deep saucepan. Cover with water and a lid. Place over high heat and cook for 30 minutes or until the largest pieces are fork-tender.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8-by-8-inch glass casserole dish with nonstick cooking oil and set it aside.

While the carrots are cooking, make the topping by mixing together the cornflakes, brown sugar, melted butter, pecans and raisins. Set aside.

When the carrots are tender, drain them well and return them to the pot. Use a potato masher to mash the carrots into a fine texture. Add the butter, brown sugar, half-and-half and lightly beaten eggs. Stir well to combine. Turn carrot mix into the prepared casserole dish and smooth over to an even level. Cover with prepared cornflake topping and place in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes and then check the topping. If it is browning too quickly, cover with foil. Continue to bake (covered or uncovered) for 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let it sit for five minutes, then serve. Reheat leftovers in 350-degree oven covered with foil. (Microwave reheating causes topping to get soggy.)

Approximate values per serving: 340 calories, 18 g fat (9 g saturated), 80 mg cholesterol, 4 g protein, 44 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, 29 g sugar, 252 mg sodium.

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Alicia Ross is the co-author of "Desperation Dinners!" (Workman, 1997), "Desperation Entertaining!" (Workman, 2002) and "Cheap. Fast. Good!" (Workman, 2006). Contact her at Kitchen Scoop, c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106, or send email to [email protected]. Or visit the Kitchen Scoop website at http://www.kitchenscoop.com.