№ 001 · Side dish · 45 min · serves 2

Toni's Carrots, with whipped cheese & lemon vinaigrette

The BF calls these my "cheesy carrots" and I make them regularly: they always look so pretty and appetizing once plated, plus they're good for the gut biome! I was loosely inspired by some carrots we had with some friends at Squable here in Houston; theirs were smothered in some heavenly, cheesy, herby gravy of sorts - I don't remember them completely, but I do remember it was the favorite dish of the night BY FAR for all four of us (we didn't even get a picture we dug in so fast), so I had to attempt my own version.

— Toni · 21 July · 2026

Ingredients

Roasted Carrots

1 lb rainbow carrots*, peeled and halved
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Lemon Vinaigrette

2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon
1 tsp honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped carrot tops*
Olive oil to desired consistency
Salt & pepper to taste

Whipped Cheese

2 tbsp ricotta
2 tbsp goat cheese
1-2 tsp lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste

Topping

1-2 tbsp crushed pistachios
*If you can't find rainbow carrots, traditional orange carrots will work, too; and if you can't find carrots with their tops, sub with parsley or see my citrus vinaigrette recipe for additional substitutions and ideas.

Method

01 Pre-heat over to 425 F
02 Take cheeses out of fridge to allow to warm for easier mixing later
03 Place peeled & halved carrots on baking pan
04 Drizzle carrots with olive oil and sprinkle salt & pepper; mix together to get carrots covered in seasoning, then evenly spread out on the baking pan
05 Bake carrots at 425 F for 25-30 minutes until slightly charred and fork tender
06 Add all ingredients for lemon vinaigrette except olive oil to mixing bowl
07 While whisking, add olive oil to desired consistency; taste test and whisk again as needed, then set aside
08 Add all ingredients for whipped cheese to mixing bowl
09 Using hand mixer with beaters, whip together until combined; taste test and beat again as needed, then set aside
10 Plating: swoop whipped cheese at bottom of serving plate, spread roasted carrots on top of whipped cheese, drizzle the vinaigrette on top of the carrots allowing some to pool around the whipped cheese, then sprinkle chopped pistachios across the carrots and serve!