I got really busy with summer weekends away and then I just got lazy for a while… Now I’m back!

As soon as football season starts I crave chili but I’ve been trying really hard to limit my meat intake (probably too much cheeseburger pie…). Fall is also squash season so I wanted to try substituting butternut squash for the beef and it turned out so lovely! Think of this as a lightened up version of chili that doesn’t miss out on that beautiful, complex spice flavor. I’m not a vegetarian so there is still a bit of meat tucked in there but it’s very easy to leave out or replace. It may seem like there is a lot of chile in this recipe but it comes out surprisingly mild.

What you’ll need:

• 4 strips of applewood smoked bacon, chopped into lardons
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño, minced (keep the seeds)
• 3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
• 1 tablespoon New Mexico chile powder (can replace with half ancho/half cayenne)
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons pureed chipotle in adobo
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 bottle of dark beer (I use porter)
• 1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 large (or 2 small) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 15-oz cans of low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• Salt + pepper
• Cilantro, green onions, grated cheddar cheese, and Mexican crema for garnish

Directions:

• Add bacon lardons to a cold Dutch oven and place over medium heat. Cook until crispy then remove with a slotted spatula and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve for garnish.
• Saute the onions in the rendered bacon fat until translucent. Add bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeño and cook for another minute to soften. Add the chile powders and cumin and cook for 30 seconds then add the chipotle and tomato paste and cook an additional 30 seconds. The mix should be very potent!
• Add the bottle of beer and deglaze, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the good stuff. Once the liquid has almost completely cooked off and the mixture looks dark and pasty, add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, and squash. Return to a boil then lower heat to simmer. Let cook for 40-45 minutes uncovered or until the squash is fork-tender. Add black beans and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Check for seasonings and add salt/pepper to taste.
• Let cool slightly then serve in individual bowls with toppings on the side. Enjoy!

Tips:

• This could easily be vegetarian/vegan by omitting the bacon and using a couple tablespoons of olive oil to cook the veggies and replacing the chicken stock with vegetable or mushroom stock.
• To get that complex chili flavor it’s necessary to have chiles, dark beer, and tomatoes. Besides that you can mess around with the rest of the ingredients. Try different types of chiles – powders or dried chiles (soaked in hot water and pureed)!