Growing up, no matter if my dad was cooking an elaborate dinner for 20 guests or just a Sunday night family supper, he always asked me or one of my four younger siblings to be his sous chef. While many of the meals we prepared alongside him were not the most kid-friendly, his carrot soufflé was. He used to give me the "easy" tasks: crushing the saltine crackers or grating the cheese. But now I see just how easy the whole recipe is.

My family's not-so-secret carrot soufflé recipe has been a crowd favorite for as long as I can remember. We love it year-round, but it always feels particularly special at Easter. When I asked my grandmother about its origin, she said the first time she had the dish was sitting around a friend’s dining table in Thomasville, Georgia. She remembers it fondly because it was also the first time she ever tried lady peas. With the recipe in tow, she went home, made the soufflé, and served it to my dad. "At first I was afraid he wouldn’t like it, but to my surprise he loved it!" she said. 

In fact, my dad loved it so much that he developed his own recipe for the beloved carrot soufflé for his first cookbook,The Blackberry Farm Cookbook: Four Seasons of Great Food and the Good Life.

A traditional soufflé is a French dish consisting of a creamy base made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites, which add volume. When baked, the eggs make the filling puff up and over the edge of the dish. Depending on additions to the base, a soufflé can be a sweet dessert, such as lemon, chocolate, or even pumpkin; or a savory side or main with add-ins like cheese, meat, or carrots in this case.

You probably hear the word soufflé and think it's a fancy dish that requires a lot of work—but I assure you, this carrot version is no typical soufflé. While a soufflé typically starts by separating egg whites from the yolks and beating the whites until stiff, this recipe skips this step—giving the dish a more casserole-like characteristic with a still-fluffy result.

The steps are relatively simple and easy for teaching. Plus, kids generally like it because they don’t realize they’re eating carrots when they’re mixed in with cheese and trusty saltines. It is also very easy to make gluten free by simply substituting the saltine crackers with your choice of gluten-free crackers.

But my dad’s favorite thing about the dish was always the color it brings to the plate—a warm and vibrant orange hue that is perfect for spring and the joyous holiday. I might be a bit biased, but this dish is one worthy of being part of your casserole lineup.

While this family favorite makes its seasonal debut at our Easter table each year without fail, you'll often find it on our Thanksgiving menu as well. I hardly remember either of these holidays without carrot soufflé on the table.

It’s the perfect light and comforting side for your feast, but tastes just as good anytime of the year accompanied by a salad. Plus, it makes the BEST leftovers...though we rarely have any left. It also travels well and is easy to reheat, which is ideal when heading to another family member's house.

Though you can find carrots year-round, they're always sweetest when in season in the cooler-weather months. Growing up, this meant digging them up in the garden, but nowadays I seek them out at the farmers' market when I can or the grocery store.

I always double the recipe because, while it might say it serves eight, it’s so good everyone always comes back for more, even when they’re stuffed with ham and rolls.

Doing so can result in some pureed carrots and a lot of chunks. If you double the recipe, you'll want to process the carrots in two batches to ensure an even texture. If you don’t have a food processor, a blender will get the job done.

If you don’t feel confident with your knife skills to thoroughly cut the onion, you can grate it instead using the same grater as the cheese. To achieve the right soufflé texture, small pieces of onion are key.

You're not trying to form stiff peaks, but you want to make sure to whisk the eggs until they're nice and foamy in order to give the dish its light and fluffy texture.

Strong emphasis on being generous with the butter coating. Do this before starting the recipe so the baking dish is ready to pop in the oven after adding the mixture. While the recipe technically only calls for adding one tablespoon of butter to the mixture, I'm known for tossing in a few extra chunks.

You don't want to overpower the dish with too much cayenne, but if you like a little extra kick, add an additional pinch of the spice.