We love vegetables in our house and one of our favorite (and easiest) ways to make them is to roast them in the oven! I usually use whatever ingredients I have on hand at the time, whether it be just olive oil, salt, and pepper, or sometimes I may add some freshly grated or shredded parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, lemon juice, or other seasonings and herbs. The combinations are endless!
Here are some of my favorite combinations:
Parmesan Crusted Purple Potatoes
- 2 cups of shredded parmesan
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Bag of small purple potatoes
Wash and slice the potatoes in half. Lay them on a large baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over them and toss to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in 375 degree oven until potatoes are cooked (probably around 20 minutes or so). You may want to flip potatoes part way through. For the last 5-10 minutes sprinkle the parmesan over the potatoes and bake a little longer. These pair well with any kind of meat, but we especially like it with a steak and green beans!
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 1/2 of a large sweet potato per person
- Olive oil or flavored olive oil such as roasted garlic infused olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Wash and slice the sweet potatoes in half. Pour a little olive oil in a large hot frying pan and pan sear the halved sweet potatoes until they are slightly browned. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and cook in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes have softened. Turn cut side up and season with salt and pepper. Cook for an additional five minutes.
Roasted Spicy Broccoli
- 1 head of broccoli
- 1/2 of a lemon, juiced
- Salt and pepper
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
Wash the broccoli and cut the florets off. Spread them out on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. When the broccoli is cooked place in a bowl and squeeze the lemon juice over it before serving. (I also like to put parmesan on my roasted broccoli. Can you tell I like cheese?)
As you can see in the photo below we paired the roasted sweet potato and broccoli with a white fish for dinner that evening! But they too will go with just about any kind of meat!
Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Spears
- 2 cups of shredded parmesan
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2-3 zucchini
Wash and cut the zucchini into spears. Drizzle olive oil over them and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or so or until the zucchini are cooked through. Sprinkle on the shredded Parmesan at the end and bake an additional 5 minutes. These are great served with chicken parmesan or pork chops!
These are some of our favorite ways to roast vegetables. Like I said the various ways to do it are endless! What’s your favorite way to cook vegetables?