Your Cool Home is supported by its readers. Please assume all links are affiliate links. If you purchase something from one of our links, we make a small commission from Amazon. Thank you!
Potatoes and carrots are two of the most versatile ingredients you can keep in your kitchen, and there’s so much you can do with potatoes and carrots besides the usual boiling and mashing.
Whether you’re staring into your pantry wondering what to do with potatoes and carrots, or you simply want fresh ideas for using up a bag of each, these two veggies can carry everything from hearty soups to crispy roasted sides and filling weeknight dinners.
In this post, we’ll walk through what to do with potatoes and carrots, from classic comfort dishes to clever ways to use them together, plus a few tips for prepping and storing them so nothing goes to waste.
Let’s get into it.
What to Do With Potatoes and Carrots
What to do with potatoes and carrots really comes down to how you want to cook them, and here are the best ways to put them to work:
1. Roast Them Together for a Simple Side
Roasting is probably the easiest answer to what to do with potatoes and carrots.
Chop both into similar-sized chunks, toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder, then spread them on a sheet pan.
Roast at 400°F for about 30 to 35 minutes, flipping halfway, and you’ll get crispy edges on the potatoes with sweet, caramelized carrots.
This is the kind of dish that works with almost any main and needs very little effort.
2. Turn Them Into a Hearty Soup
When you’re not sure what to do with potatoes and carrots, soup is always a safe bet.
Sauté onions and garlic, add diced potatoes and carrots, then pour in broth and let everything simmer until tender.
You can blend it smooth or leave it chunky, depending on your mood.
Add a splash of cream or a handful of herbs at the end, and you’ve got a cozy bowl of comfort from two humble ingredients.
3. Make a Potato and Carrot Mash
If you love mashed potatoes, try boiling carrots right alongside them and mashing the two together.
The carrots bring natural sweetness and a lovely golden color to the mash.
Add butter, a little milk, salt, and pepper, and you’ve got a side dish that’s a nice change from the usual.
This is a great way to use up extra carrots before they go soft.
4. Throw Them Into a Stew or Curry
Potatoes and carrots hold up beautifully in slow-cooked dishes.
They absorb flavor without falling apart, which makes them ideal for beef stew, chicken stew, or a veggie curry.
Cut them into chunks, add them to your pot along with your other ingredients, and let the simmering do the rest.
The potatoes thicken the sauce naturally while the carrots add sweetness and color.
More Ideas for Using Potatoes and Carrots
Once you’ve covered the basics, there are plenty of other ways to use potatoes and carrots in your cooking:
1. Make Veggie Fritters or Patties
Grate potatoes and carrots, squeeze out excess moisture, then mix with flour, egg, and seasoning.
Pan-fry spoonfuls until golden and crispy, and you’ve got fritters that work as a snack, side, or even breakfast.
They’re a fun way to use up small amounts of both vegetables.
2. Add Them to a Sheet Pan Dinner
Toss potatoes, carrots, and your choice of protein onto one pan with oil and herbs, then roast everything together.
It’s a full meal with minimal cleanup, and it answers the question of what to do with potatoes and carrots in one go.
Sausage, chicken thighs, or even chickpeas all work well here.
3. Pickle or Ferment the Carrots
If you have extra carrots, quick-pickling them is a great option.
Slice them into sticks, pack them into a jar with vinegar, water, sugar, and salt, and refrigerate.
They’ll be ready in a day or two and make a tangy, crunchy addition to sandwiches and salads.
4. Prep and Freeze for Later
If you’re wondering what to do with potatoes and carrots before they spoil, prep and freeze them.
Blanch peeled and chopped carrots and potatoes for a few minutes, cool them in ice water, then freeze in bags.
That way you have ready-to-cook veggies on hand for soups, stews, and roasts whenever you need them.
Tips for Prepping and Storing Potatoes and Carrots
A few simple habits keep both vegetables fresh longer and make cooking with them easier:
1. Store Carrots in the Fridge
Carrots stay crisp in the fridge, ideally in a sealed bag or container with a little moisture.
Trim the greens first, since they pull moisture from the root.
Stored this way, carrots can last for weeks.
2. Keep Potatoes Cool and Dark
Potatoes prefer a cool, dark, dry spot rather than the fridge.
Keep them away from onions, since the gases from onions can make potatoes sprout faster.
And don’t wash potatoes until you’re ready to cook them, as extra moisture shortens their shelf life.
3. Cut Them Evenly for Cooking
When you’re prepping potatoes and carrots for roasting or stewing, cut them into similar-sized pieces so they cook at the same rate.
Carrots tend to be denser than potatoes, so slightly smaller carrot chunks help everything finish together.
So, What to Do With Potatoes and Carrots?
What to do with potatoes and carrots comes down to how you want to cook them, and you’ve got plenty of options, from roasting them together on a sheet pan to simmering them in soups and stews, mashing them, frying them into fritters, or pickling and freezing them for later.
These two humble vegetables can carry a side dish, a full meal, or a meal-prep session with ease.
Hope this post has helped you figure out what to do with potatoes and carrots so you can use up what’s in your kitchen with confidence.