Turkey & Butternut Squash Chili isn’t something I grew up eating, but it’s becoming a staple in my household. I’m always looking to include some type of vegetable to every dish that I consume because you can never eat too many veggies!
Growing up, we only ate ground beef in our chili! Recently, I started experimenting with meats like ground pork, ground turkey, and chopped pork chops. I’ve been meaning to test out chili with a meat like chorizo or Italian sausage.
My favorite thing about this turkey & butternut squash chili is that it took me little to no time to make this recipe. Awhile ago, I posted an alternate version of turkey chili over on Sweet By Shayla. The difference between that recipe and this one is that this one includes butternut squash, a little bit of a different spice blend, and Rao’s Homemade Tomato Sauce.
How to make a turkey & butternut squash chili:
First off, begin by figuring out what pairs well with butternut squash! A lot of recipes online pair butternut squash with black beans! I wanted to be traditional and use kidney beans. Personally, the only beans I strongly do not recommend that you use for this turkey & butternut squash chili would be baked beans. Baked beans do not belong in chili because they do not blend with anything.
Second, decide on the spice blend that you’re going for here. Do you want a spicy chili? Do you want a sweet and spicy chili? My turkey & butternut squash chili here is neutral and not overloaded with spice. Everything that I cook has to have as little spice as possible so that my daughter can eat it.
Most importantly, I want to let you know that since you are making a chili; you’re gonna want to cut up that squash! Nobody wants to eat huge chunks of butternut squash in their chili because that just seems so wrong. Maybe this will work for someone that isn’t eating any meat in their chili.
In conclusion, really give time to allow those flavors to have time to really marry. Don’t just throw all of the ingredients into the dutch oven and then serve right away. I always allow my chili recipes to sit for a few minutes before serving.
Turkey & Butternut Squash Chili
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Turkey
- 1 can Kidney Beans
- 1 cup Frozen Butternut Squash
- 2 Cups Rao’s Homemade Tomato Sauce
- 3 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1/2 White Onion diced
- 4 tbsp Chili Powder
- 3 tbsp Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric
- 1/4 tsp Dry Mustard Powder
- 2 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Sweet Paprika
- 1 tsp Dried Cilantro
- 2 tsp Herbs de Provence
- 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Garlic Salt
- 1 tbsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp White Pepper
- Spanish Olive Oil Cooking Spray, for spraying
Instructions
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Begin by baking your frozen butternut squash for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Set this aside for later.
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Heat a dutch oven to medium/high heat and spray with Spanish Olive Oil Cooking Spray. Once it heats up, add your diced white onion and allow to brown slightly.
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Once the onions have browned, add in your ground turkey. Season with 1 tbsp kosher salt and 1 tbsp black pepper. Stir periodically and allow to brown.
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Once your turkey has fully cooked, remove the ground turkey from the dutch oven and drain the fat using a colander.
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Place the dutch oven back on the stove and add in the can of kidney beans (including the water), tomato sauce, butternut squash, and tomato paste. Stir the mixture until the tomato paste dissolves. Add the seasonings and stir again. Cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
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After 15 minutes, serve with cheese and greek yogurt. (If desired)
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