This Butternut Squash Chili Mac is the ultimate comfort food. Chili, cheese, pasta.. holy yummo. Bonus, it’s a high protein veggie meal too that is sure to satisfy a hungry appetite.
Happy Meal Prep Monday!! I’ve been busy at FNCE this week but the hubby is at home enjoying some home cooked meals {hopefully}. I try to set him up with different meals when I go out of town so that he has options for lunch and dinner instead of resorting to eating out. That’s one thing I dislike about traveling is all the eating out.. it’s fun the first day but gets old real quick. Ya feel me?
I got into Atlanta on Saturday and pretty much headed straight to meetings and events. It’s been a fun reconnecting with with lots of my RD & blogging buddies. Last night a few of us went to dinner at Canoe right outside of Atlanta on behalf of California Strawberries. Left to Right: Toby, Anne, Robin, Me, Regan. Not pictured: Lisa, Elle, Jodi. Photo cred: Anne.
I ordered Stuffed Quail— I was nervous about ordering it but Anne encouraged me to take the plunge because “yeah, I ate quail for dinner #NBD.” Lol. love that girl. This dish reminded me of my grandma recipes because she cooked quail all the time since my grandfather was a hunter.
On to the recipe… to me butternut squash is pretty intimidating and I feel like I’m going to slice my hand off every time I try to cut it myself. I usually buy already diced up for me butternut squash from Trader Joe’s, but I didn’t get there this time when I prepped this recipe. But if you don’t have a TJ’s, it doesn’t have to be too difficult…
How to Cut Butternut Squash
- Peel the squash with a veggie peeler.
- Cut the top and bottom off; discard.
- Separate the neck from the bottom; and slice both parts in half lengthwise.
- Scoop the seeds from the bottom.
- Dice it up from there.
Cutting a butternut squash is not as scary as it seems and can be totally safe, promise. If you’d like to see a video, let me know. I’ll be recapping what I’ve learned on the blog this week be sure to check back for that.
- 1 medium butternut squash, small diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 12 oz gluten-free rotini
- ½ red onion, diced
- ½ yellow pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup pumpkin beer
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 1 can great northern beans
- 1 can kidney beans
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F; line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange butternut squash on baking sheet; season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
- Roast for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil large stock pot of water seasoned with salt; cook pasta al dente according to package directions, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In stock pot, drizzle with olive oil and heat to medium high heat. Sauté peppers, onions, and garlic until translucent.
- Stir in tomatoes, pumpkin beer, chili powder, cumin, beans, and butternut squash to combine.
- Toss in pasta, coat with sauce, and remove from heat.
- Pour chili mac into single serve bowls and top with cheese.
- Note: For meal prep, place chili mac in 9X13 inch baking dish and top with cheese. Reheat in oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese melts.
Sounds like the perfect Fall comfort food – super kid friendly too!
THX Jeanette!
I love butternut squash mac and cheese! So tasty and comforting!
Glad you like it Genevive.. I had never added butternut squash to pasta before and it was a yummy addition!
OMG this is legit. Love how you totally amped up the nutrition of classic mac! <3
THANKS Lee!! You’re super duper. Check out that fiber content :)
This looks absolutely amazing Kristina! Wish we could meet up again at FNCE-glad to hear you’re having fun. And that all your fingers are still intact :-) Can’t wait to make this!
Hey EA! I wish we could meet up as well! Are you at FNCE??
Your pictures are so damn epic, I want to eat the pasta through my screen. Pinning!
lol–this made my day!
This looks delicious! I feel your pain haha the worst thing about butternut squash is peeling and cutting it up!!
Ugh, I know.. but this last time with the butternut squash built my confidence!
This sounds delicious! I love the pre-cut butternut squash at TJs, especially since you can steam it in the bag in the microwave. Perfect for a quick side dish. Enjoy FNCE – sounds like you’re having a good time!
Thanks Dana!! TJ’s makes my life easier… FNCE was really fun.
Are you now mostly using gluten free pasta? Since it’s pricier than regular whole wheat pasta, I don’t recommend it to patients unless they express gluten sensitivity diagnosis/symptoms since I don’t see a benefit otherwise. Does it taste any different?
Hey Carol, the recipes on my blog are foods that I eat. After some blood work, I found out that I have gluten sensitivity so I’ve minimized exposure in my diet. If I eat a whole load of wheat pasta I will swell and have GI issues. Bleh. When writing the recipe I almost said “pasta” so that ppl can make their own choice, but why are GF pasta box is 12oz instead of 14oz. I’m sure using the 14oz box wouldn’t make a big difference in this recipe however… so use either :)
Makes complete sense you’d avoid gluten then :) I’ll let you know how it comes out when I make it!
YAY! Let me know! I try to limit my exposure to it, but of course there is the occasional indulgence and that seems to be okay for me :)
Wasn’t gluten sensitivity (not celiac disease) recently debunked as psychosomatic?
It was disproved in May by the very researcher who hypothesized its existence years ago. Her’s a link to the great article on his work though.
http://www.businessinsider.com/gluten-sensitivity-and-study-replication-2014-5
Hey Audrey! Thanks for your message. I was definitely skeptical with all the media coverage with eating gluten free but after working with clients that saw undeniable results after doing the food sensitivity testing, I chose to take the ALCAT test and it made a big difference in how I feel. Check out my post here: https://www.loveandzest.com/2013/06/why-i-had-to-change-my-diet.html
oh my goodness this looks like heaven! love this!
lol. Thank you!!