Roasting squash usually means having to babysit the oven for an hour or more, but not if you do it in the crockpot. Follow these simple steps for perfectly roasted squash, minus all the hands-on time. [Read more…]
Beef & Butternut Squash Chili
Butternut squash is a fall staple in our house, so is chili. It was only natural, then, that the two would eventually end up in the same bowl. And let me just say, the results are crazy good. Butternut squash chili is delicious; it’s colorful; and it’s loaded with all sorts of good-for-you stuff. This is the kind of meal that you’ll want to add to your regular rotation because it comes together quickly and leaves you with leftovers for the next day.
Butternut Squash Chili
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
Half of a butternut squash, peeled and cubed
14 oz. beef broth
(2) cans kidney beans, drained
(1) 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp chili power (2 Tbsp if you like heat)
1-1/2 tsp cumin
6 cloves garlic, minced
Salt to taste
What You Do:
Brown the ground beef in a large pot. Drain the fat. Then, add the peppers and onions, and cook until soft.
Add the rest of the ingredients, and bring the pot to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the butternut squash is soft (about 25-30 minutes).
Serve with sour cream, cheese or your favorite chili toppings.
PrintBeef & Butternut Squash Chili
This beef and butternut squash chili is a fun variation on regular chili.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- Half of a butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 14 oz. beef broth
- (2) cans kidney beans, drained
- (1) 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 Tbsp chili power (2 Tbsp if you like heat)
- 1-1/2 tsp cumin
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large pot.
- Drain the fat. Then, add the peppers and onions, and cook until soft.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, and bring the pot to a boil.
- Then, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the butternut squash is soft (about 25-30 minutes).
Notes
- Serve with sour cream, cheese or your favorite chili toppings.
Front Yard Farming
Remember all those volunteer butternut squash vines that came up in our front yard? We just harvested our squash this morning, and ended up with 24 for us, and a few damaged ones for the chickens. Pretty sweet deal.
Next year, I’ll plant squash in our front yard on purpose. It’s led to many interesting conversations with our neighbors and the CSA families that pick up at our house (we’re a CSA pick-up spot for our friends’ farm). One of our neighbors came over Friday to ask about buying some of our squash, and someone driving by this morning, stopped and bought one. I wasn’t really planning to sell any, but I’m happy to see people excited about eating real food.
If you grew butternut squash this year, I’d recommend waiting until the stems are a tannish-brown before you harvest yours. If you look closely, you’ll see my stems are still a bit green. I’m working on a secret plan that required me to pick mine a bit early. They’re fully edible at this point; they just won’t be good storage squash. I’ll puree them, and get them into the freezer sometime in the next couple weeks.
Here are some guidelines to help you determine when to pick butternut squash.
See Also:
When to Pick Butternut Squash
This spring my husband added some soil from one of our compost bins to our front beds, and before long we had butternut squash vines coming up in the front yard. Nice!
Those plump butternut squash have been tempting my taste buds every time I walk past them, but I’m not picking them just yet because I know if I pick them too soon they won’t keep well.
So, how do you know when butternut squash is ready to be picked?
Pick them when …
- the skins are tan, with no green lines showing
- the stems are brown, and the vines have died back
Many gardeners also recommend waiting until after the first frost to harvest any winter squash.
To Pick Your Butternut Squash
Be sure to leave two to three inches of the stem intact. If you cut them shorter, they’ll rot quickly. Inspect your squash carefully, and place any with damaged skins or stems in a pile to be used right away. Cure the rest by sticking them in a warm spot with good air circulation for a couple weeks. Turn them regularly to ensure even curing. This will allow the squash to shed some of their water weight and to develop tougher skins, so they store well.