Butternut Squash Chili Dip

Football season’s in full swing and so are my cravings for game day food! Anybody here nervous eaters? For example, when it’s 3rd and goal with 20 seconds left in the game, team’s down by 6 and the quarterback gets sacked, that’s my cue to start mindlessly shoving tortilla chips and dip in my mouth. If you’re a Vikings fan (or fan of any team that makes you question why you haven’t jumped ship yet) like me, we sometimes find ourselves in those moments of suspense, but we’re more familiar with frustration eating. (“Really?! Really?! Why would you run that play?!!!**grabs all the chips and dip**). This meme pretty much sums it up.

But enough about football. Back to the eating. Based on my game day eating style, I love to make lightened up versions of classic dishes. Enter this Butternut Squash Chili Dip. Thanks to the butternut squash (learn how to peel and cut it here), this dip is thick, creamy, and oh-so-velvety. And aside from the almond milk and a few spices, this dip is all veggies. I added chopped onions, peppers, and some canned diced tomatoes to make this a chunky, chili-style dip.

The cheese part. Remember this Cashew Nacho Cheese that I poured all over these Loaded Kale Nachos? Did you know there was no actual cheese in the recipe thanks to the awesomeness that is nutritional yeast? I used it again in this recipe to give the dip a boost of nutty, cheesy flavor. Find it on Amazon and in the natural foods section or baking aisle of your grocery store. If you can’t find it, no worries! It’s totally optional. The butternut squash does a wonderful job of giving this dip a cheesy color and thick queso-like texture. Either way, this is the dip you want in front of you when your nerves and frustration gets the best of you during the game!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Butternut Squash Chili Cheese Dip

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Author: Krista

Serves: 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash (2-3 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• ¼ teaspoon, pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers (stems, seeds, veins removed), chopped
• 2 bell peppers (any color), chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chiles
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast (optional)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 cups nondairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
• chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut and peel the butternut squash. Then chop into 1-inch cubes.
3. Spread the cubes on a large lined baking sheet. Drizzle with a ½ tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper. Roast the squash for 40 minutes.
4. While the squash is roasting, prepare the veggies. In a large saucepan, heat a ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Once heated, add the onions and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the jalapeno, bell peppers, cumin, chili powder and a ½ teaspoon of salt. Sauté for another 3-4 minutes. Then, add in the can of tomatoes with green chiles. Stir until combined and cook for another 2-3 mintues. Take the pan off the heat.
5. When the butternut squash is done roasting, add it to the food processor along with the nutritional yeast (if using), ½ teaspoon of salt, and lime juice. Puree the mixture until smooth. Then, stream in the milk while the mixture is processing. Let the mixture process for a couple of minutes until it reaches a smooth and velvety consistency.
6. Add the puree to the vegetable mixture in the saucepan. Stir until combined. Give the dip a taste and add salt as needed. Keep on low heat until ready to serve. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro before serving.

Notes

Serving size: ½ cup
Nutrition Information (per serving) from Caloriecount.about.com
Calories: 81 Fat: 2.8g Carb: 12.7g Fiber: 3.9g Protein: 3.7g Sugar 4.2g Sodium: 831mg

3.4.3177

This post contains an Amazon affiliate link for nutritional yeast.