Roasted Root Vegetables Recipe
This Roasted Root Vegetables recipe with parsnips, sweet potatoes and beets is topped with cheese and baked to perfection.
It makes a delicious side dish for special occasions, yet it’s simple enough for a weeknight meal.
During the holiday season, with all the heavy and decadent food, healthy eating can seem almost impossible.
That’s the beautiful thing about this recipe. Simple roasted vegetables make a hearty and healthy side dish and they contain some of the most essential vitamins, nutrients and dietary fiber you need.
Try this traditional minestrone soup recipe for another really healthy meal.
The combination of flavors in this recipe are an ideal pairing for almost any main course. Try them with Balsamic Vinegar Pork Chops, Grilled Bruschetta Chicken or this amazing Braised Beef Recipe.
Why We Love this Recipe
- Earthy flavors: Roasted root vegetables have such an organic and earthy flavor. After a summer of eating cold, crisp, garden side salads, like this Kale Caesar Salad with Chickpeas, these warm and hearty roasted vegetables are the best way to usher in the cooler temps of Fall.
- Easy side dish: Sometimes easy is best. All of these veggies are available at your local grocery store or farmers market. Everything goes into one skillet and bakes until the vegetables are tender and the cheese is golden brown. Super quick and easy!
- Meal prep: This is a great recipe for meal prep. You can make this recipe on the weekend, portion it out and you’ll have a healthy side dish for several days.
- Cheesy Topping: This recipe has a different spin from traditional roasted vegetables. The mild earthy flavors from the veggies and the saltiness from the cheeses takes roasted vegetables to a whole new level.
What Goes Into this Recipe
- Root vegetables – parsnips, sweet potatoes, and beets for earthy flavor.
- Cheese – Gruyere and parmesan pair perfectly.
- Fresh thyme – bring a savory taste to the dish.
How To Make this Recipe
Preheat the oven temperature to 400 degrees.
Slice each vegetable thin using a knife or a mandolin.
Add vegetables to 3 separate bowls.
Add 2/3 cup of the heavy cream and 2 oz of the parmesan to each bowl.
Add some of the thyme to each bowl and the salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat.
Place the sliced vegetables into the cast iron skillet by color. Pour what was left of the heavy cream mixture from the parsnips and sweet potato bowl over the sliced veggies. (Do not use the beets cream mixture as it will be too pink.)
Cover and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes.
Remove cover and top with the rest of the parmesan and the gruyere.
Place under broiler for a few minutes to create a crispy and golden brown cheese layer on top.
Garnish with fresh thyme and enjoy!
Top Tips:
Slicing your vegetables the same thickness not only makes for a prettier presentation, it also helps to ensure the vegetables cook evenly.
Fresh thyme really makes this recipe special. You can certainly use dried thyme if that’s all you have, but fresh thyme really makes a big difference.
Once you place the skillet under the broiler to brown the cheese on top, don’t walk away. It’s better to keep the skillet on the middle rack at this point because the cheese will turn brown quickly.
Variations
This recipe is so versatile, with just a few changes you can have a different dish every time.
- You can change up or add most any combinations of root vegetables you like. You could use sliced butternut squash or sliced red potatoes instead of the sweet potatoes. Though this recipes uses red beets, you can use golden beets instead. Carrots will work well in place of the parsnips.
- Change up the Gruyere cheese with another type of Swiss cheese like Emmental or Comté. All three of these cheese have similar melting points but have a slightly different flavor profile. For the parmesan, you can use most any hard cheese you prefer. Asiago cheese is a great substitution for parmesan.
- Herbs make all the difference when it comes to flavor. Rosemary, basil and sage all roast well with these vegetables. Each herb adds so much flavor. A little goes a long way so make sure not to be overly generous when combining these herbs.
FAQs
Pan roasting vegetables is super simple. Just preheat your oven to 400 degrees. For easy clean up, line a rimmed baking sheet or large roasting pan with parchment paper.
Cut your root vegetables into similar size pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl.
In a small bowl, combine oil (olive or avocado) with chopped herbs of your choice, then drizzle over vegetables and give them a toss.
Transfer vegetables in an even layer onto the lined sheet pan and place in the preheated oven. They’re done when the natural sugars in the veggies begin to caramelize and they are fork tender.
Absolutely! Allow the vegetables to cool completely before placing them in an airtight, freezer-safe container. They should freeze well for up to a couple of months.
Can I Make this Roasted Root Vegetables in Advance?
You can certainly. You can make the whole recipe in advance and reheat it.
You can also assemble all the ingredients ahead of time but bake it later. To do so, add the sliced veggies in the skillet with the cheese and cream mixture, then place it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it, or overnight.
Then top it with the additional cheeses and bake it according to directions. Because the skillet will be starting out cold you will need to increase the cook time.
More Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love!
Roasted Root Vegetable Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 3 Parsnips large, peeled
- 2 Sweet Potatoes large, peeled
- 3 Beets large, peeled
- 4 oz Gruyere cheese shredded
- 8 oz Parmesan cheese grated and divided
- 2 ¼ C heavy cream divided
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme minced and divided with extra for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice each vegetable thin using a knife or a mandolin and add to 3 separate bowls.
- Add 2/3 cup of the heavy cream and 2 oz of the parmesan to each bowl.
- Add some of the thyme to each bowl and the salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat.
- Place the sliced vegetables into the cast iron skillet by color.
- Pour what was left of the heavy cream mixture from the parsnips and sweet potato bowl over the sliced veggies.
- Do not use the beets mixture as it will be too pink.
- Cover and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes.
- Remove cover and top with the rest of the parmesan and the gruyere.
- Place under broiler for a few minutes to create a crispy and golden cheese layer on top.
- Garnish with fresh thyme and enjoy!
Notes
Slicing your vegetables the same thickness makes for a pretty presentation but also ensures the dish will cook evenly. Fresh thyme really makes this recipe special, so don’t use dried thyme unless absolutely necessary. The dish will still be flavorful, but not nearly as good! Watch while under the broiler! Don’t put the pan on the top shelf. It’s better to broil slowly than to ruin the dish by burning it under the broiler. (Speaking from experience!)
