Sheet-Pan Roasted Root Vegetables

This Sheet Pan Roasted Root Vegetables recipe is the one you need to make, and then keep it on reserve anytime you need a delicious and nutritious side dish. Root vegetables can typically be found in your grocery store all year long and tend to be very affordable. They are also packed with nutrients. Carrots and sweet potatoes are both high in beta-carotene, parsnips have potassium and beets have nitrates to lower blood pressure, onions are swimming in antioxidants and, of course, all the vegetables are roasted in heart-healthy olive oil. They all contribute fiber, and their natural sugars caramelize in the high-heat roast. This is the perfect make-ahead recipe to use in different ways all week long. Keep reading for our expert tips on cooking techniques, how big to cut the vegetables for an even roast and more!

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• Cutting vegetables on the diagonal increases their surface area in the pan, allowing for more even browning and enhanced flavor.
• It’s important to rotate the large baking sheets halfway through the roasting process. This ensures that the vegetables receive equal heat and cook uniformly without burning.
• We recommend roasting vegetables at 425°F to promote caramelization of their natural sugars, which helps achieve a nice, crisp brown texture.
• For extra crispness, toss the vegetables with cornstarch before roasting. You’ll want 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for every 1 pound of vegetables.

Nutrition Notes

• Roasting beets is the way to go when you want to eat this earthy root vegetable. This cooking method brings out the natural sweetness that is desirable—and it may want to make you eat more beets, which is a good thing. Beets are high in dietary nitrates, which convert to nitric oxide in the body. This amazing process helps to dilate your blood vessels, which allows the blood to flow freer than before—lowering your blood pressure. This is very beneficial for heart health.
• Carrots are the quintessential root vegetable that you probably already have in your house. Carrots are not only a good source of fiber, they also contain a high level of beta-carotene. This is an antioxidant that is beneficial for helping to lower inflammation, but as a bonus, it’s converted to vitamin A in the body, which helps keep your immune system strong.
• Parsnips are a root vegetable that you may not eat often, but they add stellar nutrition and a beautiful light contrast to this sea of colored veggies. Parsnips are a good source of potassium, which helps to pull sodium out of your body, and eating more potassium can help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range.
• Sweet potatoes are a healthy addition to any diet. Their beautiful orange color tells us that they are a source of the antioxidant beta-carotene. We keep the skins on in this recipe to maintain the sweet potatoes’ amazing fiber content, which is essential for good digestive health.