Sheet pans get a workout in this house. You may know them as bake pans or cookie sheets. A kitchen must have for roasting or baking anything. I remember trying to use just aluminum foil. That can work but I appreciate the sturdiness and support that comes from a sheet pan. In recent years, I’ve purchased all kinds of sheet pans in a variety of shapes and sizes. Besides roasting vegetables, I even learned to create a Sweet Potato Slab Pie using a sheet pan.
My journey into plant-based nutrition revealed that I did not really embrace a variety of vegetables. I can recall visiting Farmers Markets and only purchasing Honeycrisp apples. When I grew up, the main way to cook vegetables was on the stovetop. We cooked spinach, green beans, peas and corn in a saucepan with a small amount of water. I did not know how awesome it would be to use the oven to roast a variety of squash, Brussells sprouts and sweet potatoes.
What’s the Difference Between Baking and Roasting?
Yes you can use a sheet pan for baking. You can also use it for roasting. But what’s difference? Baking is actually when you put ingredients together and they become something else with heat. The temperature is usually at 375 degrees or lower. This is true for some of your faves like:
- Cookies
- Bread
- Cakes
- Cupcakes
Roasting with a sheet pan is all about the heat. That’s usually above 400 degrees. Also, we typically roast things like:
- Squash
- Potatoes
- Meats
- Chicken
Why Use a Sheet Pan?
What’s awesome about using your sheet pan for roasting vegetables is that you can put so many on one pan. You can even make several pans at once if you are making a lot. Who has time to roast one ingredient at time? Also, roasting several vegetables all at once just looks so darn beautiful!
My recipe isn’t really a recipe at all. I use a little olive oil, and some salt and pepper. From time to time, I may add garlic and onion powder. But honestly, I like to just keep it simple and let the natural flavor of the vegetables shine.
Essentials for Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables
LA Dunn is a plant-based advocate who is always on the look out for fun and new ways to put more plants on her plate. When she’s not roasting veggies, she can be found watching the NFL playoff games and planning her next adventure to a vegan restaurant.
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Sheet Pan Oven Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 large peppers (Yellow, Orange, Red or Green)
- 2 large onions
- 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 cups of new potatoes
- 2 medium squash (acorn, carnival, or kabocha)-
- 2 cups carrots
- 3 tbs Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Feel free to wrap your sheet pan in foil or use parchment paper.
- Peel your sweet potatoes and clean your carrots. Choose to slice/cube your vegetables. You can leave your carrots whole or cut them.
- *A note about squash, most are really hard. Sometimes I bake them for 5-10 minutes in the oven and then I slice them and prepare them for cooking.
- Place all of your prepped vegetables onto the sheet pan. Add olive oil and salt/pepper to taste.
- Roast in the oven for 30 minutes and then check on it. If you feel the veggies are not done, put them back in for another 10-15.