brown butter–honey carrots with fresh thyme

prep: 10 MINUTES | cook: 10 MINUTES | total: 20 MINUTES | serves 6 TO 8

Caleb and Maxwell both love raw carrots, but whenever I make this dish, they call it their “special carrots.” When I let them pick the vegetable that will go with dinner—a great way to get kids excited about eating their veggies, by the way—they almost always ask for these. The carrots get cooked in browned butter until they’re tender and sweet, and then glazed with honey. A little salt, pepper, and fresh thyme keep things on the savory side, but this could almost be dessert it’s so delicious. And the best part is that it’s easy and quick enough to make during the week (especially because it goes with just about anything), but also elegant enough for a more special supper.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 pounds medium carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into ¼-inch slices

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon honey

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Whisk until it starts to get frothy and brown, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots and garlic and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender but still crisp.

2 Turn off the heat and drizzle the honey over the carrots. Stir to coat, then season with a pinch of salt and pepper plus the fresh thyme. Serve warm.