Butternut Squash Chili

What do you like to eat with your chili?  Fritos, bread or just the regular toppings like cheese and sour cream?  I have to have Fritos with my chili.  The corn flavor and crunch it adds is what made me first love chili.  

Despite the usual long list of ingredients, chili is super easy to make.  I have several versions on the blog, but this one is unique, because it has butternut squash in it.  I saw bags of pre-cut butternut squash at Trader Joes the other day and I remembered once seeing a butternut squash chili recipe.  

I grabbed a few bags of the butternut squash and decided to throw it in this chili.  It turned out fantastic.  You can't actually taste it, but I loved having the extra veggies in there.  Some of the butternut squash gets so soft it dissolves into the chili and makes it extra creamy.

This chili has a great flavor and it isn't spicy.  It goes great with all the usual chili toppings.  

Tomorrow night, I plan to serve the leftovers over baked potatoes.  Yum :)

You might also like:

Fresh Garden Tomato Chili

Creamy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

My go-to Chili 

Chili Cheese Baked Potato Casserole

Butternut Squash Chili
(Printable Recipe)
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner

1 Tbl. olive oil or avocado oil
1 Lb. lean ground beef
1 c. diced onion
2 green bell peppers, ribbed, seeded and chopped
2 c.  peeled and cubed butternut squash
1 (14.5 oz.) can low-sodium chicken broth
2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 oz.) can low-sodium pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can low-sodium white beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp. cumin, or to taste
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder, or to taste
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste
1 tsp. paprika (I like to use smoked paprika), or to taste
1 tsp. dried oregano, or to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

For serving:
shredded Cheddar cheese
chopped green onions
cilantro
sour cream
Fritos
sliced bread

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the ground beef and cook until browned.  Add the onion and green bell peppers and saute for a few minutes.  Add the butternut squash, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, all the beans, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.  Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.  

It tastes better the longer it simmers, but if you are in a rush, you can serve it as soon as the butternut squash is tender.  If you want it to be thicker, remove the lid and simmer at the end to thicken.  

Serve with desired toppings.  Serves: around 6.