The Basics Of Roasting Vegetables

This easy casserole dish of roasted vegetables is a recipe that you will want to use often. Even the pickiest of eaters will love the mixture of flavors that come through with this dish. You can find a wide variety of fresh vegetables at your local farmer's market and most supermarkets now carry outstanding assortments of vegetables year round. You only need to have a sharp knife and a good baking sheet on hand to create this excellent meal. You can easily make a few substitutions to this recipe. Swap out the balsamic vinegar for lemon juice and you will have a tarter taste. Yukon gold potatoes can be replaced with sweet potatoes or baking potatoes. I like to use 3 colors of peppers when I make this dish, it really adds to the visual appeal. Make this dish a day or two ahead and then reheat when you are ready to serve. Just make sure you don't over bake.

Ingredients For Roasted Vegetables

• 1 small butternut squash, cubed
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
• 1 red onion, quartered

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the squash, bell peppers, sweet potato, and Yukon Gold potatoes. Separate the red onion quarters into pieces, and add them to the mixture.
3. In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan or baking sheet.
4. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.

  Roasted vegetables are a great way to add flavor and color to a meal. I have also found that this is a good, and maybe sneaky, way to get my kids to eat vegetables. They taste great, look good and can be mixed with other foods.