Perfect Roasted Vegetables

During the past two days several requests for help on how to do vegetables and potatoes for a large dinner party have come into my blog. An important question as the right side dishes can make or break your dinner party.

So I highly recommend simple and fool proof. The way to go today is roasting.

It took me many YEARS to get away from 8 course dinners whereby I had prepared several side dishes to go along with a roast turkey or lamb or a stuffed pork.

I loved and had the energy to do a lot of different side dishes back then but no longer.

Here is what I recommend you do if your entertaining more than 4 people and you want a lot of different vegetables done easy and delicious. First prepare your selected vegetables by washing slicing and air drying. Place them in several large plastic bags, drizzle a small amount of olive oil over them and set them aside into the fridge until needed.

Quick Tip - what I am recommending for vegetables can be adjusted as you wish.

These are my go-to-favorites for a crowd. You can do 2-3 lbs of your favorite vegetables if you prefer. Remember not to stack on the sheet pan. Lay the vegetables flat.

Ingredients:

1lb. butternut squash - cubed.

1 large red onion sliced

1 yellow onion sliced

1 lb. small yellow potatoes - skin on cut in half

1 lb. sweet potato - peeled and cubed

1 lb. Brussels sprouts - cleaned and sliced in half

1 lb. French style green beans

1 lb. cauliflower - I prefer yellow but white is great.

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

2 sheet pans will be needed - maybe three depending on how many vegetables your roasting.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

When ready to cook pour all your vegetables onto the sheet pans and spread the vegetables out to fully cover. All the vegetables can be mixed. Add next lots of olive oil, salt and pepper and using your hands mix the vegetables until fully coated. Don’t worry if it looks like too much olive oil. You need enough but not so much that it’s running off the sheet pans.

Place the sheet pans into the oven using three racks if needed. Close the oven door and roast for 20 minutes. Open the oven door and pull one sheet pan out at a time and give the vegetables a toss. If one sheet pan looks like it is cooking faster - place it on a different rack.

When all the sheet pans are tossed cook for 10 minutes more. Check your vegetables for doneness. If everything looks crispy and caramelized - you can remove from the oven and serve - if everything else is done. If you need a bit more time before serving turn the oven off keeping the sheet pans inside.

When ready to serve - pour the vegetables into a large family style bowl or onto 2-3 platters.

Quick Tip #1 - depending on the season and your the main course I recommend serving along side in a beautiful bowl an organic apple sauce or cranberry sauce to compliment. Quick Tip #2 - if you have a crowd and your slightly nervous about your dinner I rely on one thing to guarantee a beautiful result. Get 1-3 French sticks heated just before serving. I buy the long thin French sticks at the grocery store baked off daily. They are the Parisian style not the thicker kind but that is fine too. As your getting the food platted keep the oven on at least 350 degrees and pop the long sticks right onto the oven grates. Allow the bread to get crisp and hot. 10 minutes is usually perfect. You can slice the bread or depending on if it’s family or great friends take a dish towel and hold the hot bread - breaking it into half or thirds. Serve the large chunks in a large bowl that has been laid first with a dish towel. Encourage your guests to break off their own pieces. Have lots of unsalted room temp butter on the table. The is the one sure thing that will help you relax. Hot bread just makes dinner guests so happy.

ENJOY!