This post is sponsored by Bush’s Beans and The Women Bloggers. All opinions and thoughts are my own, however Bush’s beans are a regularly loved product in our home. #AD #BushsBeansFallFlavors
Warm sweaters, boots and scarves, pumpkin patches, roasted vegetables…the smell of campfires and the feel of cool, brisk breezes that circle around you and make the flames of the fire dance and crackle. There are so many reasons to love the Fall season! Another favorite about Fall is indulging in a steaming hot bowl of delicious chili. Creamy beans, savory, spiced butternut squash, and fire-roasted green chiles provide a unique and seasonal twist to this white bean chicken chili. The perfect cozy meal for any cool, autumn day, this recipe highlights the signature flavors of the season, whether camping, entertaining, or simply making a family meal. This bubbling, flavor-packed chili is one of my favorite dishes to make and reminds me of how much I cherish this time of year.
Bush’s beans are a key ingredient and a staple in our house during the Fall and Winter especially, and can be purchased at any local neighborhood Walmart. They’re an inexpensive and an easy protein to add. After all, what soup, chili or stew is complete without some soft, creamy beans? Versatile and healthy, they are a quality ingredient to add to any soup, stew or chili. Plus, they’re a great alternative for protein if desiring a vegetarian life-style or when embracing “Meatless Mondays.” Northern white beans beautifully complemented another seasonal ingredient in this recipe: butternut squash, roasted, caramelized and flavored with delicious spices. A bit of allspice for warmth, chili powder for heat, brown sugar and garlic salt to add a slight salty and sweet finish. The fire-roasted green chilis adds a balanced zest to this chili, along with the salsa verde. The flavors simmered and married together in a way that warms you from the inside out. Lastly, what chili is complete without tomatoes?
As we drove down the road to a little fire-pit get together with some friends, I drank in the beautiful rows of trees lining the road with their leaves turning, dressing them in brilliant hues of gold, red, yellow and orange. The scent of the steaming chili wafted up from the back of the car, intermingling with the smells of Fall blowing through my open car window. I felt completely content and refreshed to be back in the cool autumn weather I have so longed for. With my husband and I having grown up in the pacific northwest and having recently completed a move out of hot California weather, it has been a welcome change to be home, now with our “littles” in tow. I was especially looking forward to the opportunity to usher them into experiences like these – sharing hot bowls of chili by a crackling fire, surrounded by friends. Not bad for a Wednesday night!
I’ve greatly missed rustic, cold, outdoor experiences. Chopping some wood for the fire was largely reminiscent of all the time spent at our friends’ cabin in Alaska when I lived there. The wood-chopping was fun but was a short lived experience, being a bit rusty with the axe after so many years. I think it’s safe to say I’m a bit better at recipe creation and cooking than wood chopping… I’ll think I’ll stick to what I know best: making chili!
WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH & ROASTED GREEN CHILES
Serves 8-10
INGREDIENTS:
2 cans Bush’s beans (northern white beans, drained and rinsed)
2 1/2 c. rotisserie chicken
1 medium butternut squash (sliced into 1 1/2 inch thick slices)
2 tbsp olive oil plus olive oil spray
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 1/2 c. chicken broth
2 7 oz cans fire-roasted green chiles (drained)
1 12 oz can diced tomatoes (drained)
1 c. salsa verde
1/2 c. tomato sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 thyme sprigs (remove at end)
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Slice the butternut squash in half, lengthwise. Peel the skin off the squash with a potato peeler.
- Cut into 1 inch pieces and toss with olive oil.
- Distribute evenly across a roasting pan without layering or crowding the pan. Use two pans if needed – this helps them roast evenly and more quickly.
- Sprinkle the squash with garlic salt, allspice, chili powder, cumin and brown sugar.
- Place in preheated oven for about 15-20 min, or until soft. Check them at 15 minutes – each oven cooks a little differently. You want them to be soft and just slightly firm, not too mushy. With the squash going into the stew, it will better hold its shape and will also continue to cook as the chili simmers.
- Add 2 cans of Bush’s Beans to your pot, along with the chicken, roasted squash, fire roasted green chiles, salsa verde, tomato sauce and paste and thyme sprigs and mix.
- Serve and enjoy!
Prep time: 15 min/ Cooking time: 40-45 min, including both roasting and heating the chili through
Entertaining options & accommodations: I love the idea of providing a “chili bar,” where people can add this and that according to taste and dietary preferences.
-Add another can of beans in place of the chicken and put the chicken on the side for to offer a vegetarian version of the recipe
-Provide cheese, sour cream & tortilla strips on the side to accommodate anyone who may be dairy or gluten-free
-Hot sauce for anyone that wants to add a little extra “kick” to their chili
The chili bar worked out well at our get together! For those who sprinkled some cheese, it melted deliciously into the already soft and creamy texture of the beans and squash. The chipotle tortilla strips added a nice crunch and provided an extra kick and added to the very mild heat of fire-roasted chiles. Mixing in some light sour cream is always an option as well, to tone down the taste of the chiles if so desired (this works great as an option for the littles!)
And to end the night, what fireside hangout it complete a mason jar toast? The perfect way to end such a wonderful night enjoying the flavors of Fall, community, and cold weather. Nothing beats this season.
