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.
![North Carolina Turnips](https://campbrighton.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/North-Carolina-Turnips-1024x683.jpg)
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.
Well there you go again. turnips and butternut squash in my CSA box waiting for a recipe. Thanka
Haha! Megan, so glad I could help you out. This is so easy and SOOOO delicious. Hope you liked it. – Erin