Roasted Butternut Squash and Turnips

The other day, I was going to be uber-productive and roast some butternut squash early in the day so that I could whip up a quick roasted butternut squash soup after work but before my kids got home from school … Alas, the roasted butternut squash was too tasty to resist so I ate it all for lunch and needed a new plan for dinner. Overcome with mommy guilt, I prepped a second pan of butternut squash to be roasted but this time I added in some turnips I had lying around on the counter. Little did I know that this combination would prove to be even more tasty than just the regular roasted butternut squash all by itself.

The combination of roasted turnips and butternut squash, tossed in a little olive oil and coarse sea salt, is absolutely out of this world. It takes only a few minutes to prepare, about 45 minutes to an hour to roast, and seconds to devour. The combo was so delicious, I even added it to my Thanksgiving Day menu this year and it was a huge hit.

This time of year it is really easy to get your hands on some fresh, delicious, local turnips and butternut squash. Keep them in a cool, dark place, and they will last you for quite a while this winter. My friend even dropped some beautiful turnips off the other day … you know I never turn down a gift of fresh, local vegetables. Yum.


Preparing your butternut squash and turnips … 

If you have a choice of sizes for your butternut squash, choose smaller squash for this cooking project. Cut your squash in half – between the bulbous end and the skinny top. I never peel my squash – I just cut it into manageable sections and slice the skin off as close to the flesh as possible. (If you want a butternut squash prep refresher, click here.) Cut your butternut squash into small, bite-sized pieces.

Prepare your turnips the same way. Cut off the ends first and then, using a sharp knife, cut off the outer layer of the turnip. Cut the turnip into pieces the same size as your butternut squash pieces.

Toss your squash and turnips …

Toss your squash and turnips in a tablespoon or so of olive oil and spread in an even layer on a large cookie pan. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Cook … 

Cook your butternut squash and turnips at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour. Using a spatula, casually turn your pieces over about halfway through the cooking time. Occasionally, I have needed to speed up the cooking process, so I turn the oven up to 425 degrees for about 5 to 10 minutes and keep a close eye on it.

Enjoy! Roasted butternut squash and turnips is a great afternoon snack or a delicious side dish for any dinner. Roasting vegetables is so easy … whenever I have a lot of veggies and not a lot of brainpower, I can always count on this technique to provide a delicious and nutritious side dish that will be eaten by all.