If you’re looking for an easy, healthy, and beautiful side dish, look no further – Roasted Beets with Balsamic Glaze is here for you.

I used to hate beets. In my early years, I had only experienced them out of a can and I thought of them as a metallic orbs of sugar with an unseemly texture. Something my mother would pull out of the cupboard when she didn’t feel like going to the trouble of preparing anything more involved. We even had an electric can opener. What could be easier. Ick.

It started to dawn on me that there might be more to this story when I started seeing them on restaurant menus. My friend Lisa would repeatedly order the roasted beet tower at Burton’s, and I must say I was intrigued.

Roasted Beet Tower – $16

marinated beets, goat cheese,
candied walnuts, roasted onions,
mixed field greens, mustard vinaigrette

The presentation was enough – the beets were diced and stacked, with the rest of the salad stacked on top. It was something to behold. But when I finally broke down and tried it, it was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. The candied walnuts were a bit much for me, but the rest of the elements were sympatico So I began growing beets – Detroit Dark Red beets, Golden beets, Chiogga beets. All amazing and sweet.

Now that I’ve fallen for beets, I want them to be happy, and beets love balsamic. The sweetness and tartness wakes up the earthy beets and lets them shine, little exquisite jewels from the earth. I buy Balsamic Glaze from BJs and find that it’s perfect for this dish. There’s no need to use expensive balsamic and reduce it on the stovetop. Using commercially prepared Balsamic Glaze makes it almost as easy as opening a can.

You really don’t need anything more for the beets to shine and sparkle. However, if you have the time and you’re looking for a salad that is reminiscent of the stacked beet salad at Burton’s, you might want to try my Roasted Beet Salad with Pistachios. Beets have come a long way, baby.