Roasted Broccoli and Carrots

Broccoli and carrots are some of my favorite veggies to roast. They become just sooo delicious after they spend a little time in the oven. Not only does their texture change, but roasting brings out a bit of the natural sweetness and helps remove a bit of the bitterness of the broccoli.

You can also swap out the Italian seasonings here for a Greek spice blend, or another seasoning blend.

Other kid friendly veggie recipes:

• Mediterranean Cucumbers
• Greek Lemon Potatoes
• Cajun Maque Choux Corn
• Green Beans Almondine

How to make these easy roasted veggies

This recipe is very simple to make! Here is a brief overview of the recipe to give you an idea of how it works. For the full set of directions and measurements, please make sure you scroll down to the recipe card below!

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground black pepper.
3. Toss in the broccoli florets and the baby carrots and toss them to coat in the olive oil mixture.
4. Dump the veggies out onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread them out evenly in one layer.
5. Roast for 10 minutes.
6. Toss and turn the veggies over, and then make sure you spread them out into an even single layer again.
7. Roast for an additional 10 minutes.
8. Grate fresh parmesan cheese over the veggies, and serve.

Prepping ahead of time

These veggies are quick and easy to make, but if you need to make them even quicker, here is how you can prep them ahead.

How to serve this to your family

These roasted veggies are perfect to serve alongside any meal. I like them beside bbq chicken meatloaf, southern fried catfish, or za’atar chicken skewers.

For younger children, make sure you cut them into appropriate bite sized pieces.

How to make this kid friendly 

The best two ways of helping kids be interested in eating vegetables and trying new foods is to get them interested and involved. 

Dinner conversations with kids

The way we talk about food matters. Instead of talking about how healthy vegetables are, try getting your kids involved in an open conversation. Treating dinner time conversations like a science experiment and observations instead of a power struggle is a perfect opportunity to reframe how we talk about, and think about, our veggies.

Try these conversation starters:

• What colors do you see? How could we add other colors to these roasted veggies?
• How is the texture of the broccoli and carrots different?
• What do you think the parmesan cheese adds to the veggies? What other cheeses do you think would be good to try?

Read more about how to explore the sense of taste with your kids.

Kids in the kitchen: How your kids can help you cook

Inviting kids into the kitchen to help you cook is a great way to help them be more interested in trying new foods.

This veggie recipe is great because kids can help do so many steps!

• Kids aged 1-3 can help you measure out ingredients, mix together the seasonings and olive oil, and add the veggies to the mixing bowl.
• Kids aged 4-6 can do everything above plus grate the parmesan cheese over.
• Kids aged 7-10+ can help you do everything above, plus help you cut any broccoli that is too large, and help toss the roasted veggies.

*Please note that these recommendations are generalized, and to please use your personal discretion with your child’s skill level. And always, always supervise! Read more about how to have your children help you in the kitchen.

Other broccoli recipes:

• Chinese Broccoli with Garlic Sauce
• Broccoli Salad with Cranberries
• Lemon Garlic Roasted Broccoli

Other carrot recipes:

• French Carrot Salad
• Ginger Honey Roasted Baby Carrots
• Italian Herb Roasted Whole Carrots