Now that the summer weather has officially “broken” into cooler fall temperatures, there are many seasonal things I look forward to at this time of year, like sleeping with the windows open to catch the cool night air, listening to the leaves crunch under my feet as I walk, sweatshirts, and in the kitchen – roasted vegetables.

Almost any vegetable will do (although “root” vegetables work best), and it’s so easy.  First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Chop up some potatoes, onions, carrots, butternut squash, or my personal favorite – cauliflower – into one inch pieces. Toss them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper and place them in a single layer on a sheet pan.

Pop the pan into the oven for one hour and viola!  A delicious and easy side dish that just screams autumn.  The vegetables get golden and crisp, with caramelized edges that are full of delicious fall flavor.  Mix and match different combinations for something different at each meal, like potatoes and squash, parsnips and carrots, or even sweet potatoes and onions.  The possibilities are endless!

For even faster clean-up, line the sheet pan with aluminum foil before adding the vegetables and now all you need to do after dinner is ball up the foil and throw it away.

This is also a great way to get some healthy vegetables into the diets of those finicky eaters in the family.  My youngest just loves roasted cauliflower, and both of my kids will eat butternut squash when prepared with this method.

Add some roasted vegetables to your fall menu.  It’s a great way to cook in the season (and with local ingredients)!