What is best to roast vegetables in?

[dianabell]

What is best to roast vegetables in -- roasting pan, baking sheet lined with parchment paper or without parchment paper, casserole dish, cast iron skillet, enamel coated cast iron, or what?

I'm going to be using olive oil and different seasonings/herbs. No butter.

(C..r..e..a..k.) There..I did it. I''ve come out of the closet. We eat a lot of canned vegetables.

We mostly eat canned corn, green beans, and peas with an occasional can of baby lima beans or carrots or carrots or peas. It's kind of boring, needless to say.

We do eat fresh white and sweet potatoes and garlic and onions but I want to start eating more fresh vegetables, like broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, eggplant, whatever looks good in the store. I like just about anything except red & green peppers.

Diane

 

[pdswife]

I use a cookie sheet that I rub down with olive oil. I think that any of the above would work though. Try adding a dash of balasmic vinegar to your olive oil. It adds a nice flavor boost.

 

[Bigjim68]

Personally, I use a cast iron skillet, it cleans easily, takes the heat of the oven with no complaint, and has a handle so that you can shake the vegetables quickly. You might want to also try sauteing or stir frying vegetables especially those you mentioned. A little butter or olive oil, some spices and herbs, quickly done and tasty. One vegetable that takes well to roasting is fingerling potatoes. I pour a little good olive oil in a skillet, add whatever herbs I have around, some garlic and pepper, toss cold to coat, and roast abour 20-30 minutes, until fork tender. All winter vegetables work well this way.

 

[Robo410]

ideally you want a low sided heavy pan large enough to hold your veg without too much overlapping. You want the sides of the veg to brown as well as the tops. I use a low sided large oval "au gratin" pan for most of my roasting now.

 

[kitchenelf]

Another vote for something with low sides. Otherwise some steaming goes on.

 

[AMSeccia]

Try your baking stone ... fabulous results!

 

[kitchenelf]

AMS - that's exactly what I use - a stone jellyroll pan - works great!

 

[AMSeccia]

This thread is all it took for me to get off my duff ... I'm off to roast a buncha goodies. I just know there are some sweet potatoes and fennel calling my name ... and some sweet onions. Hope the peppers are still nice ... TTFN!

 

[dianabell]

You've all given me wonderful tips. Thank you so much.

Robo, I Googled au gratin pan to see what you meant by low sided. The ones I saw ranged from 1-1/4 to 2-1/2 high. I'm guessing the lower the better for roasting vegetables. I have a confession to make. I'm so culinarily challenged I didn't know what an au gratin pan was. I had never heard of it before. I had to Google it even to see what it was, not just how high the sides were.

After reading all your wonderful posts, what I see in my crystal ball after my Google adventure is a shallow au gratin pan made out of enamel coated cast iron. I think it would roast evenly and keep the vegies warm longer while everyone eats, and looking pretty to serve in that would be an added benefit.

I only have one roasting pan, and it's for a turkey so it sounds like it's too high. I think I'll try my jelly roll pan and my cast iron skillet (2 inches high). Those are my two lowest kind mentioned. My stoneware is either 2-1/2" or totally flat for pizza. I couldn't stir it if it's flat. Although the jelly roll pan has the lowest sides, I think the cast iron or stoneware might bake and brown more evenly. I'll try them both and see. I love my cast iron skillet.

Pdswife, I'm going to try adding some balsamic vinegar to the olive oil. That sounds yummy!

I need to go the grocery store now and get some vegies to roast!! Thank you all!!!!!!!

Diane

 

[pacanis]

I use a cookie sheet, too. With foil on it for easy cleanup.
I just came back from the store and they had asparagus on sale for $1.99/lb! That's really the only vegetable I roast. The rest I kind of steam and then put EVVO on and kind of fry on the stove top.
And there's nothing wrong with canned veggies either, Diane! I LOVE the taste of canned corn. I haven't had canned green beans though since I started buying good fresh ones.

 

[Maverick2272]

we use a cookies sheet as well. Mostly for roasting potatoes, sweet potatoes, or squash, or when DW does a ragout.

 

[dianabell]

And there's nothing wrong with canned veggies either, Diane! I LOVE the taste of canned corn. I haven't had canned green beans though since I started buying good fresh ones.

Thanks for saying that. I'm just bored with a lot of things I've been eating and have been looking for other ideas. I'm sure I'll still eat some canned vegies sometimes. I eat canned or frozen fruit sometimes too. I eat canned tuna and salmon. One thing I really don't like though is canned chicken.

Diane

 

[AMSeccia]

Diane, don't worry ... everybody starts somewhere! You are smart to make use of what you have versus running out and buying a pan. Next time, know that you can use your flat stone as well, since it "breathes" and you don't necessarily have to turn your vegies. I rarely do!

 

[AMSeccia]

my girls love canned creamed corn, and for some reason there's something nostalgic (to me) about canned peas, although I rarely have them. Frozen peas are one of my favorite salad toppers.

 

[dianabell]

Next time, know that you can use your flat stone as well, since it "breathes" and you don't necessarily have to turn your vegies. I rarely do!

That's wonderful to know. I'll definitely try the flat stoneware pan too. Thank you!

Diane

 

[suziquzie]

I use my 9x13 pyrex just because I'm a SLOB when I stir them.
You should see it. Potatoes flying EVERYWHERE!

 

[Maverick2272]

Thus starting the Great MN Potato Disaster of 08. Let us know when they call out the National Guard to help clean up...

 

[suziquzie]

Ha

Ha

Ha.
The only disaster here is the house smelling like the upside down that escaped from the pineapple cake all over the bottom of the oven....

 

[Uncle Bob]

A 12 in. Cast iron skillet...Sometimes a SS cookie sheet...Other times a 12 in. cast iron griddle....

 

[Maverick2272]

Ohhh now that would hit the spot, some upside down pineapple cake. We had one we used to do in an iron skillet. I remember it had pineapples and brown sugar and you caramelized them before pouring the yellow cake batter over the top and placing in the oven.