Description
This festive Roasted Halloween Vegetables recipe features sweet potatoes carved like jack-o-lanterns, white potatoes as ghost shapes, beet slices shaped like witch’s hats, and whole carrots as witch’s fingers. Boiled briefly to soften, then roasted with rosemary, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and honey, these veggies make a fun and flavorful seasonal side dish perfect for Halloween celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 2 large white potatoes
- 4 carrots, peeled
- 2 large to 3 medium red beets
Seasonings and Others
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
- ½ bulb garlic cloves, separated with skin still on
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
Instructions
- Boil Sweet and White Potatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut sweet potatoes and white potatoes in half horizontally, then add them to the boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes to soften slightly but keep shape, then remove from water.
- Boil Beets and Carrots: Drop whole beets and peeled carrots into the same boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. This partially cooks them for roasting.
- Cut and Shape Vegetables: While the beets and carrots are boiling, slice the parboiled sweet and white potatoes into ½ inch (1 cm) thick slabs. Use a small paring knife or pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter to carve jack-o-lantern faces into the sweet potato slabs. Carve ghost shapes into the white potato slabs, using a straw or small tool to cut out eyes.
- Slice Beets and Prepare Carrots: Remove beets from water and slice into ½ inch thick slabs. Cut these into witch’s hat shapes. Leave the peeled carrots whole to resemble witch’s fingers.
- Prepare for Roasting: Arrange all the shaped vegetables on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle salt, pepper, and rosemary leaves evenly. Toss gently to coat. Crush garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and scatter around the pan for roasting aroma.
- Roast the Vegetables: Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (204°C) for 1 hour, flipping the vegetables halfway through to promote even roasting and caramelization.
- Glaze and Final Bake: When 10 minutes remain on the timer, drizzle balsamic vinegar over the beet shapes and honey over the carrots. Return the pan to the oven to finish roasting and develop rich, sweet glazes.
- Serve: Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving as a spirited Halloween-themed side dish.
Notes
- Boiling the vegetables before roasting ensures they cook evenly and become tender without drying out during baking.
- Use fresh rosemary leaves for best aroma and flavor.
- Carving shapes into vegetables is optional but adds fun festive presentation.
- Using parchment paper on the baking sheet makes cleanup easier and prevents sticking.
- If preferred, substitute honey for maple syrup to keep it vegan.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
