Looking for an easy vegetable side dish for the holidays? This easy roasted vegetable recipe is so easy that people won’t believe you after they taste it. The bacon caramelizes the vegetables making it taste like you spent hours in the kitchen prepping your holiday side dish.
One of my favorite things about fall is the food. I can’t get enough. Obviously I’m not alone. Thanksgiving meals are epic for a reason, right? One dish that always makes an appearance on our Thanksgiving menu is roasted vegetables.
Are You Ready for the Best Roasted Vegetables Recipe?
While I love to cook, there are probably only a handful of dishes I serve that consistently get rave reviews. This recipe for easy roasted vegetables is by far my most popular (find the runner up here). It’s the dish I’ve served at every single Thanksgiving since Tom and I have been together. It’s such a staple in our home that when I first published this recipe I was shocked that it took so long to make an appearance on the blog.
It’s one of those recipes that is so easy that I’ve felt guilty putting a real recipe together for the blog. In fact, I didn’t even use a real recipe until I decided to put it together for this blog post. Usually I use up whatever vegetables we have on hand, toss them in olive oil, and bake them for 40 minutes. Seriously, it’s that easy.
The Secret to Making Roasted Vegetables Taste Amazing
The secret to making these roasted vegetables irresistible is to add bacon. Believe me, I’ve tried to omit it and I’m always sad when I do. Bacon makes everything better. Trust me on this one.
Sometimes I wonder if I need to start a new blog category to showcase my love for bacon. I feel like I’ve been blogging about it a lot lately! To see some of my favorite bacon dishes, click here.
When I first started roasted vegetables I used nothing more than olive oil and salt. Let me tell you, those first roasted vegetables were delicious. I didn’t even think they were missing anything. Then I tried it with bacon one day on a whim. I haven’t looked back since.
How to Roast Vegetables
Another secret I have for this dish is to roast the vegetables on a well season baking sheet.
It’s tempting to cook them in a baking dish, but the vegetables won’t caramelize well in a dish. It’s important to get that caramelization, especially if you like onions.
It’s a fact that warm steamed onions don’t hold a candle to caramelized ones.
It’s quite simple to roast vegetables. Here’s my method:
- Always roast on 400 degrees
- Use a well seasoned baking sheet. I use a dark jelly roll sheet (I use this Calphalon one from Amazon)
- Use any variety of vegetables you wish. Hard vegetables like butternut squash and potatoes will take longer so start those soon and add softer ones like zucchini and summer squash towards the end.
- Always coat with a good amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Roast anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on type of vegetable. I roast until they are slightly brown.
- Toss the vegetables ~ every 25 minutes
How to Serve Roasted Vegetables
I like to use all white serving-ware because it looks great for all events. This one came from Old Time Pottery, my favorite place to buy inexpensive serving-ware. Nope, this isn’t even a sponsored post or an affiliate link. I truly love this baking dish that I bought for less than $10. It’s held up for years and is a fraction of the price of most baking dishes.
Want a cheap one like it? Here’s the closest cheap one I could find on Amazon: White Baking Dish
What Vegetables can be Roasted Together?
I love all vegetables so I’m a fan of roasting everything together. Since I’m always looking for ways to reduce my food waste, I throw all my vegetables together.
To avoid overcooking, undercooking, or burning the vegetables, it’s easiest to start by roasting like vegetables together.
Here are a few of my favorite roasted vegetable combinations:
- Broccoli, Cauliflower, & Carrots
- Brussel Sprouts, Potatoes, & Butternut Squash
- Summer Squash, Zucchini, & Broccoli
- Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, & Butternut Squash
- Brussel Sprouts, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash, & Broccoli
- All the combinations above, but add onions!
What Temperature Should I Roast Veggies?
To really achieve the best caramelized flavor you should roast on 400 degrees with a well seasoned baking sheet.
Easy Roasted Veggies Recipe
Next time you need to impress friends for Thanksgiving or Christmas, bring this dish. I promise you that they won’t be disappointed.
Ingredients
- 3 slices of bacon cut into bit sized pieces
- 1 C. brussel sprouts halved
- 1/2 C. cubed butternut squash
- 1 sweet potato cubed
- 1 russet potato cubed
- 1/4 red onion
- 1 small head of broccoli cut into pieces
- 1/4 C. of olive oil
- 2 tsp. course sea salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
Instructions
- Bake the bacon on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
- Remove the bacon, but keep the grease on the sheet.
- Add vegetables and oil, toss to cover.
- Add salt and pepper.
- Bake for 40 minutes, tossing at the 20 minute mark.
- Serve in a baking dish and add in the bacon.

Stick around for some more holiday recipes
- Breakfast Casserole Recipe
- Christmas Granola Recipe
- Baked Pears with Gorgonzola, Granola, and Honey
- Recipe to Use Your Thanksgiving Leftovers
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Looks good can’t wait to try it
Ooo! Delicious! And looks like something I can actually make that’s not out of a box or a drive thru window. :)
Lol! Yes, it’s so easy!
Roasted veggies with simple olive oil, salt, and pepper – DONE and DONE and so so so good!!!
Can’t go wrong with S+P!
Just found your blog via the Sunday Link-up. Yours is quickly becoming one of my favorites – love everything about it.
Looking forward to trying this, thank you so much for sharing.
Best,
Bibi
Bibi- Thank you! You are too kind. I can’t wait to check out your blog too!
You never have to talk me into adding bacon to a recipe. ;) I love roasted veggies in the fall! And adding bacon would make this over the top. (Ok, I guess you did have to talk me into it a little…but only because I’ve never thought of it before.)
I’m with you on the bacon!
Love it! I’ve done brussels sprouts with bacon and I’ve done roasted root veggies (potatoes, carrots, beets and turnips) with oil, salt and pepper, but hadn’t really thought about having so much variety in the dish.
That’s how I started out too! One day I just threw them all together and never looked back.
Aah, yes. The return of fall cooking. Thanks for the reminder of one of my favorite simple dishes!
Fall is the best for food!
What an amazing recipe! I can’t wait to try this, thanks for sharing. I would have never thought to use a cooking sheet, always used a baking dish, great tip!
Oh yes, the cookie sheet is a must!