By Kim Severson
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- 4(182)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This is more of a casserole than a traditional soufflé. It comes from Sam Beall, the proprietor of Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, who died at age 39 in a ski accident. The dish makes its seasonal debut on the Beall family table at Thanksgiving, but paired with a salad, it becomes lunch or a light dinner any time of year. Use the sweetest carrot you can find, and grate the onions on the same grater you use for the cheese to save a little prep and clean-up time. Many of the steps are easy enough for children, making it a great dish for teaching cooking skills. It will become part of your winter rotation, and travels well.
Featured in: A Widow Takes the Helm at Blackberry Farm
Learn: How to Make Soufflé
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Ingredients
Yield:8 to 10 servings
- 1tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more to butter the dish
- 2pounds carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- 1tablespoon kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon
- 1cup whole milk
- 1cup crushed saltine crackers
- ¾cup, or about 3 ounces, grated sharp Cheddar
- ⅓cup minced or grated onion (about ½ medium onion)
- ⅛teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 3large eggs
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
124 calories; 5 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 342 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart soufflé dish or baking dish.
Step
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Put the carrots in a large pot and cover with about an inch of water. Add a heaping tablespoon of salt and boil the carrots until they are tender enough to yield to the tip of a knife, about 10 minutes.
Step
3
Strain the carrots and purée them in a food processor. Put them in a large bowl; stir in the milk, cracker crumbs, cheese, onion, butter, cayenne, black pepper and remaining salt.
Step
4
In another bowl, beat the eggs until they are quite foamy. Using a whisk and a gentle touch, mix the eggs into the carrot mixture.
Step
5
Scrape the mixture into the buttered dish and bake for about 45 minutes, until the soufflé is slightly puffed, light golden brown and pulling away from the sides of the dish. Serve warm.
Ratings
4
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182
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Cooking Notes
Faded elegance
Better version is "carrot custard" from Lee Bailey's "Country Weekends." Boil 14 oz peeled and chunked carrots 20 mins til extremely tender. Purée in processor with 2. Tb unsalted butter. Add 2 eggs + 1/2 cup milk with pinch each of nutmeg, salt, pepper. Process til smooth. Bake in buttered 8" cake pan in a water bath at 375 for about 30 mins. Let rest in pan on wire rack for about 10 and unmold onto platter. Holds beautifully; can be made ahead; is also good cold.
Maggie
In traditionsl Southern cooking, most casseroles made with eggs are called "souffles."
Francesca
I would reduce the amount of salt. Loved the texture and easiness but next time will not add salt to water
Elizabeth
"This is more of a casserole than a traditional soufflé." The photo looks like glop, without any trace of soufflé. It sounds like it would be tasty, but why call it something it's not?
Sheila
Delicious! Followed recipe exactly except for adding more onions than indicated. Will definitely make this again for family and friends
Kim Severson
The crackers offer lift and texture to this. Saltines are basically fat, flour and a bit of leavening. It's not unlike putting bread crumbs in a meatball or meatloaf, which bring a little lightness to the party.
Lew
Carrots are so much more flavorful when they have a baked char on them, so I would think this recipe would be fantastic. Twice baked carrot soufflé? I think you're onto something special.
Lisa
This would be called a sformato ("unformed") in Italy. A less classy moniker than souffle, perhaps, but a better descriptor. Multiple veg versions exist.
Allison
I really wanted to like this, but ultimately it just tasted like a scoop of puréed carrots. I followed the recipe exactly except for subbing scallions in for the onions, and I was hoping that the scallion and cheddar flavor would come through, but no dice. I put the mixture in individual ramekins in my fridge, so I’m going to try to take the remainder and form it into fritters with lots of extra cheese, salt, and panko instead.
Benjamin
I didn't like this at all. It worked fine but the taste was boring and somehow off. I used organic, premium ingredients. It's not a true soufflé anyway.
Rachel
This is unfortunately not very good.Edible, but not worth the trouble.
Cameron
Surprisingly bland recipe that sounded so good on the page. I was thinking this would be a knockout side dish for dinner parties -- good thing I did a test run before serving it to guests.
Anne Allen
I substituted crushed waffle potato chips for the crackers, and I used a potato masher to lightly mash the cooked carrots with the butter before adding the other ingredients. It turned out delicious and with a great texture.
Brenda
Used 1.5 tsp salt in boiling water with carrots. Added no extra salt. Delicious!
Jean
Anyone tried this with quinoa or other grain instead of saltines?
GERRI
I used the miniature, pre-peeled carrots for convenience. I did not process the carrots; instead I mashed them as you would a potato. I also lowered the salt to a sprinkle. A "heaping tablespoon" is too much for my taste. I found I didn't have saltines, so I substituted with Ritz crackers. It was very tasty and a good substitute in place of a potato; everyone liked it very much.
Faded elegance
Better version is "carrot custard" from Lee Bailey's "Country Weekends." Boil 14 oz peeled and chunked carrots 20 mins til extremely tender. Purée in processor with 2. Tb unsalted butter. Add 2 eggs + 1/2 cup milk with pinch each of nutmeg, salt, pepper. Process til smooth. Bake in buttered 8" cake pan in a water bath at 375 for about 30 mins. Let rest in pan on wire rack for about 10 and unmold onto platter. Holds beautifully; can be made ahead; is also good cold.
Cliff
One opinion. Water bath is more bother. Nutmeg instead of cayenne is OK, but not my preference. Your version lacks cheese?
Karen
Can this be made without the crackers? Has anyone tried it?
Krausova
Why do you need crackers
Kim Severson
The crackers offer lift and texture to this. Saltines are basically fat, flour and a bit of leavening. It's not unlike putting bread crumbs in a meatball or meatloaf, which bring a little lightness to the party.
NancyL
Could I bake the carrot rounds instead of boiling them, which extracts all the nutrients? Also, what about leaving the skin ON as it holds many nutrients?
Lew
Carrots are so much more flavorful when they have a baked char on them, so I would think this recipe would be fantastic. Twice baked carrot soufflé? I think you're onto something special.
GERRI
I don't see any reason why you couldn't bake the carrots; in fact, I'm trying that next time.
Debra
Don't you find the skins add an odd taste to the carrots?
Francesca
I would reduce the amount of salt. Loved the texture and easiness but next time will not add salt to water
Sheila
Delicious! Followed recipe exactly except for adding more onions than indicated. Will definitely make this again for family and friends
GERRI
I agree; it could use some more onions, but I would also saute them before adding.
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