Easy Roasted Beets - Balsamic Vinegar, Bacon and Butternut Squash

Nutrition: 229 Calories | 17.3g Net Carbs | 4.1g Protein | 8.3g Total Fat

Whip up a tangy, sweet side dish everyone will enjoy with oven roasted beets, balsamic vinegar, bacon and butternut squash in this easy sheet pan recipe.

I love getting fresh vegetables delivered from local farms as part of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. It’s always a fun surprise. What are we getting this week? Well, this week we received butternut squash and beets in our bag. Beets have a delicious earthy flavor, and the bright red color is a lot of fun. I’m a big fan of butternut squash too; one of my favorite fall dishes is butternut squash soup. But, soup isn’t very appealing on a hot summer night. So I decided to try something different. I mixed the squash and beets together and roasted them. And, the earthy beets and sweet squash are a perfect complement to each other.

Peel and Cube the Beets

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Preparing this side dish is really easy. First, peel the beets. Then, cut them into chunks about one inch in size. Now, if you’ve ever cut up beets before, you know that they will turn everything pink. There are actually some fun tutorials out there about dying fabrics with beets. My girls get a big kick out of my pink hands, but if you want to avoid this, wear some gloves. Once you’re done chopping, put the cubed beets on a sheet pan.

Clean and Chop the Butternut Squash

After cubing the beets it’s time to move on to the butternut squash. First, cut the squash in half lengthwise. If it is too hard to get the knife started, microwave the squash for a couple minutes to soften the skin (2-5 minutes depending on the size). This technique works great for all the thick-skinned winter squash varieties. Once the squash is cut in half, scoop out the seeds. You can roast them like pumpkin seeds or discard them. Finally, peel the squash and cut it into one inch cubes.

Add Bacon, Season and Roast

The last ingredient to add to your baking pan is bacon. Chop up half a pound of bacon into small pieces and add it to the sheet pan with the chopped vegetables. Season everything with salt and pepper. Then, use your hands to toss everything together. Since we’ve added bacon, there’s no need to add in any other oils. Once everything is thoroughly mixed and seasoned, spread it all out in one even layer on the baking pan. Roast in the oven at 425° for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the bacon is crisp. If the vegetables are tender but not quite roasted enough, broil them for 3-5 minutes. But, watch them closely so they don’t burn.

Drizzle with Balsamic After Roasting

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The last flavor component to this delicious side dish is balsamic vinegar. It is important to add the vinegar after the vegetables have cooked in order to get the most flavor. I’ve learned from roasting other vegetables, that if you mix the vinegar in with the raw vegetables and then roast, most of the tangy flavor cooks away. So, after the beets and squash a fully cooked, take them out of the oven. Then, pour balsamic vinegar over the top and toss everything together. As the vegetables start to cool, they will soak up the vinegar. Once it’s all soaked in, it’s time to serve. Roasting vegetables really brings out the best in them, and beets and squash are no exception. Enjoy.

Other recipes to check out: Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar, Pressure Cooker Butternut Squash Soup, and Oven Roasted Acorn Squash.