Roasted Potatoes and Veggies, One of Many Ways

When I was growing up, whenever my parents were having someone over for dinner my mom would make roasted potatoes as a side dish.  They were a consistent part of her repertoire, which is a good thing -- because they were awesome.  She'd put diced potatoes into a gallon-size Ziploc bag with some Newman's Own salad dressing, shake 'em up, pour them onto a pan, and roast them.  They were quick, easy, and effing delicious.

Over the years, I've taken the same tactic and changed it up a bit.  I still put diced potatoes into a gallon-size Ziploc, but now I often add a sliced onion, garlic cloves, and veggies.  The good thing about this is that the potatoes, onion, and garlic serve as a versatile base for different veggies (or combinations of veggies): carrots, asparagus, bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes -- whatever your heart desires, actually.

Tonight I wasn't in the mood for lots of chopping, so I decided to go for a decidedly basic version of this dish: potatoes, onion, and carrots.

Step 1:  Grab a 1-pound bag of baby carrots, one onion, 7 cloves of garlic, and 5 smallish potatoes. Chop the potatoes (you can either dice them into cubes or make thin-ish slices).  Put everything into a gallon-size bag.  Pour 1/4 C olive oil, 1/4 C balsamic vinegar, and 2 tablespoons Italian herbs on top, and shake the bag until everything has an even coating.  

Step 2: Put 'em on a tray, and throw 'em in the oven.

Step 3:  Roast at 400 F for approximately 30 minutes.  Halfway through the roasting process, run a spatula along the bottom of the pan to loosen and redistribute anything that might be starting to stick.

Step 4: When everything is cooked through, broil until the potatoes and veggies are starting to get browned and crispy. Remove from heat, plate, and enjoy.