Butternut Squash Chili with Beef and Beans

Delicious Butternut Squash Chili with Beans and Beef – healthy alternative to traditional chili.  The ingredient list includes red kidney beans, green bell pepper, corn, garlic, and tomatoes.

Butternut squash is a winter squash with a sweet and nutty flavor, and it works great in a chili recipe!  Did you notice that many recipes for a classic chili include a pinch of sugar?  It’s usually done to offset the flavor of the tomato sauce or tomato sauce.  Well, the butternut squash adds just the perfect amount of subtle sweetness to contrast the tomatoes perfectly.   Butternut squash is a perfect addition to any chili recipe.

If you like butternut squash, it’s likely that you enjoy pumpkin as well.  In which case, take a look at pumpkin chili with chickpeas and black beans and pumpkin quinoa chili.

This gluten-free chili is packed with protein, fiber, and nutrients.   It’s healthy comfort food – and makes a hearty dinner in the fall and winter.   The butternut squash chili will also make a great addition to your holiday menu, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.

Butternut Squash Chili is Winter Comfort Food

This chili combines cooked beef with cubed butternut squash, chopped green bell pepper, minced garlic, kidney beans, corn, and canned tomatoes. It’s seasoned with chili powder and cumin. Then, it’s topped with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, and a dollop of Greek yogurt (or sour cream). It’s perfect comfort food on the cold winter nights.

This butternut squash chili is very filling.  It’s a great choice for dinner or lunch to take to work the next day.

Healthy Chili Recipe

• This chili has tons of veggies (butternut squash, bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes).  It’s made with quality ingredients, and it’s gluten-free!
• Butternut squash is a great source of fiber and potassium.
• The recommended topping for the butternut squash chili is plain Greek yogurt – a good source of probiotics and calcium.

Toppings for Chili

I garnished the butternut squash chili with a dollop of Greek yogurt and shredded cheddar cheese, and everybody agreed that it was even better than topping the chili with sour cream!

Here are more ideas:

• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Greek Yogurt
• Sour Cream
• Sliced Avocado
• Guacamole
• Chopped Tomatoes
• Salsa
• Crushed Tortilla Chips

How to store butternut squash chili

• Cooked chili tastes even better the next day, after being refrigerated overnight.
• Refrigerate the chili in airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

How to make butternut squash chili

1) Cook ground beef in olive oil in a large skillet until no longer pink. Drain the ground beef of any fat.

Cooking ground beef in a skillet

2) To the same pan with cooked ground beef, add cubed butternut squash.

Adding cubed butternut squash to the skillet with cooked ground beef

3) Add chopped green bell pepper, minced garlic, and kidney beans.

Adding minced garlic, chopped green bell pepper, kidney beans

4) Add corn kernels.

Add corn kernels to the skillet

5) Add canned tomatoes. Use a spoon to break all tomatoes into small bites.

Adding tomatoes

6) Add 2 cups of water. Season with chili powder, cumin, sugar, and salt to taste (at least 1/2 teaspoon of salt). Mix everything well, and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer.

Cooking butternut squash chili on a low simmer

7) Cook on a low simmer for about 25 minutes until the butternut squash is tender. Remove from heat. Season with extra spices and extra salt, if needed.

8) Serve butternut squash chili topped with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

What to serve with Butternut Squash Chili?

• Cornbread is always the classic side to go with any chili.  Take a look at this recipe for the best cornbread.  It’s made with honey, butter, and milk. You can easily make it in your cast iron pan, which will produce crunchy edges for the cornbread.
• Brussels Sprout Coleslaw with a zest of a creamy horseradish is a healthy salad and a perfect side to the butternut squash chili.

Other Chili Recipes

• Pumpkin Chili with Beef and Black Beans
• Pumpkin Quinoa Chili

Butternut Squash Recipes:

Butternut squash is an amazing vegetable, and it works well in many other recipes, such as salads, lasagna, tortellini, and a casserole. Here are my favorites:

• Butternut Squash and Spinach Tortellini
• Butternut Squash and Spinach Salad with Pecans, Cranberries, Pomegranate Seeds
• Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna
• Black Bean and Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole

Butternut Squash Chili with Beef and Beans

This healthy chili recipe features butternut squash and beef as the main ingredients.   The chili is gluten-free, packed with veggies, and rich in fiber and protein.  The ingredients include red kidney beans, green bell pepper, corn, garlic, and tomatoes.  This healthy comfort food makes a hearty dinner in the fall and winter.   The butternut squash chili will also be a great addition to your holiday menu, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 lb butternut squash (peeled and chopped into 3/4 inch cubes (1/4 of whole squash or 2 cups chopped squash))
• 1 green bell pepper (chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 15 oz red kidney beans (from the can, rinsed)
• 7.5 oz corn (from the can, rinsed)
• 28 oz tomatoes (from the can (I used peeled tomatoes Cento San Marzano brand))
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (at least )

For garnish:

• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
• 4 green onions (chopped)
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain the ground beef of any fat.

2. To the same pan, add cubed butternut squash, chopped green bell pepper, minced garlic, kidney beans, corn, and canned tomatoes. 

3. Use a spoon to break all tomatoes into small bites. 

4. Add 2 cups of water. 

5. Season with 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and salt to taste (at least 1/2 teaspoon of salt). 

6. Mix everything well, and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer. Cook on low simmer for about 20-25 minutes until squash is tender. Remove from heat. 

7. Add extra chili powder, if you want more heat. Season with more salt, if necessary.

8. Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

This recipe was originally published on October 21, 2014, and republished with updates in November 2019.

The post Butternut Squash Chili with Beef and Beans appeared first on Julia's Album.

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