Fall is the perfect time to enjoy a rainbow of healthy Roasted Root Vegetables as a perfect side dish to any weekday family dinner or holiday meal.
I know I'm probably starting to sound like a broken record, but fall really is my favorite time of year for cooking. Heck, it just may be my favorite time of year for a lot of reasons! Its the time of year when my brain switches from making vibrant green salads and serving as many raw side dishes and grilled up main dishes because of the summer heat to roasting everything and using the toasty warm oven.
So, I think a root vegetable is basically any veggie that grows beneath the ground with roots pointing down. You know, things like onion, garlic, beets, carrots, and potatoes - all of which I used in this recipe. But wait a minute! Butternut squash grows on top of the soil like a pumpkin. I know. I know. I just couldn't resist using it in this recipe because a) I already had it in my refrigerator and it needed to be used up and b) I love LOVE love butternut squash. Sue me.
The roasted root veggies make an easy, healthy, and delicious side dish.
You've heard "eat the rainbow", right? Well, I tried my best. I went for the rainbow beets and the rainbow carrots. I even chose three different varieties of potatoes - one orange sweet potato, one white sweet potato, and one golden potato. I got darn near close to having a complete rainbow. You tell me which blue vegetable would have made this complete! I couldn't think of one, otherwise I would have used it simply to say I had every single color in the rainbow.
The amount of veggies I used fit perfectly on my large baking sheet. You want to make sure that they fit on a single layer so that they properly roast and not just steam.
Give them one quick stir half way through their cooking time and let the oven do the rest. The result is an incredibly flavorful and healthy side dish.
These veggies taste great leftover too, so don't be afraid to make an extra big batch and heat them up for lunch throughout the week. They just might be making an appearance on my table this Thanksgiving too!
Roasted Root Vegetables
Ingredients
- half butternut squash (peeled with seeds removed)
- 3 small potatoes (sweet or golden, peeled)
- 3 beets (peeled)
- 3-5 small carrots (peeled)
- 1 red onion (peeled)
- 1 head of garlic (cloves peeled and smashed)
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary (stems removed, minced)
- 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Chop all of the vegetables into one inch cubes. Combine with smashed garlic cloves and minced rosemary in large bowl. Cover with olive oil and toss to combine. You want just enough olive oil to lightly coat the vegetables without having any excess at the bottom of the bowl.
- Using on large or two small lined baking sheets, spread vegetables out into a single layer.
- Roast in preheated 425 degree F oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, tossing once half way through cooking time, until veggies are fork tender.
- Season with salt and pepper, as desired
Emmeline
Love roasted veggies! And your combo of veggies and seasonings sounds amazing. Love beets in the oven they turn out sooo sweet 😋
Tawnie Kroll
My favorite side dish, so nutritious and satisfying. I love getting in all these veggies!
Janelle
Yum! I really love roasted veg, and this recipe is divine!
Irina
I am used to making almost the same meal, but I have never added butternut squash and rosemary. Thanks for the great idea. Next time I cook, I will follow your recipe. Pinning!
Christie Gagnon
Healthy and delicious! I love the color and flavor combos in your recipe!!
Marjo
Thanks for reminding me about root vegetables. I actually use this baking trick when I'm busy because all you need to do chop up the veggies then put some olive oil and let the oven do the rest.
Chef Dennis
Nice job with your post! I love those roasted root vegetables!