A fall dinner table needs to have beets, and these Easy Oven Roasted Beets are just the side dish you need to brighten up your Thanksgiving or Christmas family meal. Infused with fresh thyme, these beets add the perfect touch of sweetness to your dinner plate.
I’m a fan of beets. Roasted beets, however, are relatively new to me. In our home, beets are usually pickled and preserved in glass jars. I’ve always loved them that way, but lately, I’ve experimented a lot with roasted beets.
BEETS ARE VERY VERSATILE
These beets are seasoned with salt and pepper. It’s the fresh thyme that gives them a totally autumn feel and taste. But, they are not only a Thanksgiving dinner table side dish. This Easy Oven Roasted Beets recipe lends itself to other meals as well.
Add some to a big bed of your favourite salad leaves and top it with a little bit of crumbled feta for a delicious salad option. A light balsamic vinaigrette works so well with a beet root and feta salad.
I like to serve Easy Oven Roasted Beets as a side with roasted chicken as well. To be completely honest, you really don’t need anything else. Forget all about the starchy potatoes, just a nice helping of roasted chicken and a generous serving of these beets make a wonderful meal.
PREPARE AHEAD TO SAVE TIME LATER
Easy Oven Roasted Beets can be prepared ahead of time. In the event of a huge dinner like Thanksgiving – you know, when you have a million other things to do – preparing a few dishes ahead of time certainly cuts down on the stress level.
If you plan to reheat the beets, just place them in a casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake them at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes and they’re ready to serve. If, however, you don’t like the thought of reheating, they are delicious served cold as well. I will often eat these beets right from the refrigerator while standing in my kitchen and looking out the window. Because that, Dear Reader, is how I roll!
Hot or cold, thyme or no thyme, Easy Oven Roasted Beets are a great way to add some vegetable variety to your holiday meals or into your normal weekday dinner rotation. And now, with beets being harvested pretty much everywhere, it’s the perfect time to pick up a bunch and give this recipe a go.
Easy Oven Roasted Beets
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Wash the beets really well, removing any soil residue (do not cut the beets, leave the tails and stems in tact)
- Wrap each beet loosely in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet.
- Roast beets for 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow beets to cool for 20 minutes.
- Working with one beet at a time, remove the aluminum foil, and while holding the beet under running water, gently rub the skin with your hands/fingers to remove the skins.
- Once all of the skin has been removed, trim the tails and stems, and cut the beets into large bite-sized pieces and transfer to a bowl.
- Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Toss to coat.
- Transfer the beets back to the baking sheet and place in the oven. Roast at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
Karen says
What size are the beets you’re roasting? I’ve roasted beets at 400 for almost an hour and had them be very firm. They were slightly smaller than a baseball. I’m guessing the ones you’re roasting are a bit smaller? 🙂
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Karen,
I usually hand-pick beets so that they are all relatively the same size. I prefer a smaller beet for roasting, but usually, purchase beets that are around the same size you’re describing – baseball or a tennis ball, etc. I have found that the done-ness of a roasted beet depends largely on how fresh the beet might be. A beet that was just harvested will take a really long time to roast. An older beet will roast much faster. If you don’t know how long the beets have been harvested, try your best to purchase the same size beet and give yourself some wiggle room on roasting time. When I’m in a hurry, I buy beets that are the size of golf balls.
I’ve been in the same situation as you with the roasting time. And not only with beets. One time – actually on Thanksgiving day, while my guest were waiting for their dinner, I had to just leave my farmers’ market heirloom carrots off the dinner table, because after 90 minutes of roasting time, they were still not fully cooked. So embarrassing!
Katy Judy says
what to do with the greens ?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Are you talking about the greens that grow on the beets? I never use them. In fact, I usually buy beets that have the green removed already.
Vicki says
This is for katyjudy re:Beet Greens.
Steam the greens. Chop the stems and sauté them in olive oil with a chopped shallot, until tender. Throw in a couple T currents. Plate the greens, put the stem sauté on top, and drizzle with a nice balsamic. Sprinkle liberally with salt, or top with a T crumbled feta cheese. Delicious. You won’t throw out your beet greens again.