Carrots in stuffing?

[scarsdalesurprise]

I bought some Tader Joe's mirepoix to use as the vegetables in my stuffing for Thanksgiving. I know the celery and onions are on point, but I don't see many stuffing recipes with carrots in them. Is it gross to have chopped carrots in my stuffing? TIA

[scarsdalesurprise]

Thank you so much for all of your help. I've decided to go sans carrots - my stuffing was not well received last years, so I want to err on the side of caution! :)

[laliz]

I bought one carrot (16 cents) last night to shred for my stuffing.

[biondanonima]

I also do an onion-carrot-celery mirepoix for my stuffing in the 2:1:1 ratio that thimes mentioned. However, I DETEST the texture of cooked carrot and celery, so I chop both in a food processor until they are extremely fine (onions I love so I chop them coarsely). Once sweated in copious amounts of butter and mixed in with all the other stuffing ingredients, the carrot and celery melt away, just leaving their flavor behind.

[thimes]

I'm very surprised how many people don't expect (or would never/never/etc) carrots in stuffing. They have always been in our stuffing. Mirepoix by definition is onions, celery, carrots in a ratio of 2:1:1.

I cooked my mirepoix yesterday to mix into my stuffing Thursday morning. And it has carrots - and it will always have carrots.

[lyndak]

my stuffing has carrots in it also.

I shred them instead of chopping them.

I think it adds a nice colour.

[ttoommyy]

"Is it gross to have chopped carrots in my stuffing?"

What could possible be "gross" about carrots? If you said "anchovy" then maybe. But carrots "gross?" In my house, a mirepoix always consists of carrots, onions and celery. Carrots in stuffing is a given for me.

[wattacetti]

I've thrown in anchovies into stuffing with no one noticing. Boosts the umami.

[ttoommyy]

Oh, I put anchovy in a lot of things. And after all, oyster stuffing is very popular. I was just speaking for the masses who may think that an anchovy in a stuffing would be "gross."

[iL Divo]

to me traditional stuffing/dressing doesn't include carrots.
I'd not use it for that purpose unless you think it sounds good to you.
or pull out the carrot part of the package and use it for something else [only taking advantage of the onions and celery].

[wattacetti]

It's part of my stuffing whenever I make it. I cut the mirepoix fairly fine so that there isn't a pronounced taste of one or the other vegetable component and cook it down before starting to build up the rest of the stuffing.

The carrot will add a bit of sweetness and color and I don't think there's going to be anyone who will notice (unless you're serving someone with a carrot aversion).

[scoopG]

I use them for color and flavor. You don't need a lot. I prefer small cubes and I blanch them in boiling water first.

[PommeDeGuerre]

If you like the way it tastes that is ALL that matters.

[JEN10]

I wouldn't use them in my Southern cornbread stuffing. It is super quick and easy to chop up some onions and celery. Save the mirepoix for Turkey soup.

[agoodbite]

Yes. Carrots never make an appearance in my Southern cornbread stuffing. I also agree that chopping up your celery and onions takes no more than a couple of minutes. I'll add that pre-chopped vegetables go leach out their flavor while sitting on the shelf and offer not much beyond an off flavor to whatever you use them in.