Hey chefs,

Fall is here—and so is roasting season! In culinary school, one of the best lessons I learned was how to roast vegetables well. It sounds simple, but if you’ve ever had a soggy sheet pan of carrots or bland squash, you know it’s not just about tossing things in the oven.

Roasting is a fantastic way to bring out the deep, natural sweetness of fall produce like squash, carrots, beets, Brussels sprouts, and even apples. Done right, roasted vegetables are crispy, caramelized, and completely crave-worthy.

Here are my pro tips for fall veggie roasting:

• Preheat your sheet pan. Stick it in the oven while it preheats. That way, when you add your veggies, they get an instant sizzle and start to brown right away.
  
• Cut evenly. Uniform size = even cooking. No one wants half-crunchy, half-mushy sweet potatoes.
  
• Don’t overcrowd the pan. If vegetables are too close together, they’ll steam instead of roast. Use two pans if you need to!
  
• Toss with oil, salt, and fresh herbs. Fall flavors like rosemary, thyme, and sage are perfect here.
  
• Flip just once. Let the heat do the work and don’t disturb the caramelization process.
  
• Finish with a splash of acid. A drizzle of balsamic, a squeeze of lemon, or a splash of vinegar wakes up the whole dish.
  

Once you get this method down, you’ll want to roast everything. And I mean everything.

Serve them alongside your main course, pile them into grain bowls, or toss into a fall salad. And if you’re feeling extra, roast some garlic cloves too—you won’t regret it.

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Until next time, keep it cozy and caramelized

    Brennah Van Wagoner
    Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2025
    Email the author! brennah.oaks@gmail.com