Description
This festive Christmas Roasted Root Vegetables recipe features a colorful medley of butternut squash, beets, and rainbow carrots, tossed in melted ghee and perfectly seasoned with kosher salt, then roasted to tender, caramelized perfection. It makes an excellent side dish for holiday meals, bringing warmth, sweetness, and vibrant colors to your table.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 1 medium butternut squash (3-4 pounds with a sizeable neck)
- 5 medium beets (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 12 medium rainbow carrots (about 2 pounds, 3 of each color), peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
Other Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons ghee, melted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
Instructions
- Prepare vegetables: Peel and chop all the vegetables into 1 inch chunks, ensuring uniform size for even roasting.
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 400°F if using convection setting, or 425°F for conventional ovens to ensure proper roasting temperatures.
- Melt ghee: Place the ghee in a large glass bowl and put it inside the cold oven as it preheats; the ghee will melt by the time the oven reaches temperature. Carefully remove the hot bowl once melted.
- Coat vegetables: Add the chopped vegetables into the bowl with the melted ghee and toss thoroughly to coat all pieces evenly.
- Season vegetables: Sprinkle half of the kosher salt over the veggies and stir to expose any unsalted pieces, then sprinkle the remaining salt and stir again to fully incorporate salt across all pieces.
- Prepare baking sheets: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spread the coated vegetables evenly across both sheets to avoid crowding.
- Roast vegetables: Place the baking sheets in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, flip the vegetables to ensure even caramelization and roast for an additional 20 minutes until tender and browned.
- Adjust seasoning: Remove the vegetables from the oven, taste, and add more salt if desired to suit your preference.
- Serve: Serve the roasted root vegetables immediately as a flavorful holiday side dish.
Notes
- Using parchment paper prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier.
- Cutting the vegetables into uniform 1-inch pieces ensures they cook evenly.
- For a vegan version, substitute ghee with avocado oil or olive oil.
- You can prepare the vegetables ahead of time and keep them refrigerated until ready to roast.
- Roasting on two sheets prevents overcrowding and promotes caramelization.
