I love when simple ideas come together and this one totally did. I still have leftovers in the fridge yet I can't wait to make this dish again!
Let me back up. First, I bought a butternut squash this week knowing I would be snowed in for a few days. I've been feeling a little uninspired in the kitchen so I thought I'd challenge myself to come up with something new, and I love doing that with winter squash. They are so versatile and I didn't grow up eating them so I feel almost free to do whatever the heck I want.
Second, I have kept chipotle peppers in my pantry ever since my Mexican cooking class experience last year. I never used them before and I immediately fell in love after my first taste. They are smoky and spicy and just delicious!
When I opened my pantry and saw the chipotle peppers I thought they would make a great addition to butternut, which is sweet and nutty.
Boy, was I right!
This lasagna-style dish totally hits the spot and feels "naughty" even though there isn't much to it. I used just a touch of cheese, as a glue of sorts, and beef, which could even be replaced with ground turkey or even a leaner cut.
If you aren't into spicy, this is not the dish for you. Those peppers pack a bit of a punch but you could always use half and dilute them with a bit of tomato sauce or even use something milder like tomato paste. Me? I'll keep the kick. I think a good spiciness makes food even more satisfying.
Here's what I did..
Ingredients
- The top part (neck) of a medium sized butternut squash (400-500g)
- 1 pound ground beef (I used 85% grassfed)
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 1 7-oz can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 3oz Colby-Jack cheese, sliced thin (grated would work, too) divided use
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Slice the butternut squash about ⅛-inch thick (I used my mandoline). Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onion.
While it's cooking, puree the can of chipotle peppers until smooth.
Add the pureed peppers to the beef once it's browned.
Stir it until well combined and lower the heat to a simmer.
Spray a casserole dish (mine is 11x8 I think) and put down a layer of sliced butternut.
Top the butternut with ⅓ of the chipotle beef mixture and 1 ounce of the cheese.
Top with another layer of butternut, beef and cheese.
Make one more layer, this time just the butternut and beef. Set aside the last ounce of cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes remove the aluminum foil. Test the doneness of the squash; it should be soft. There may be a lot of liquid that escaped from the butternut -- simply remove as much as you can with a baster.
Top everything with the last ounce of cheese and bake for about 10 minute so the cheese melts and just starts to brown.
I couldn't wait -- I cut right in making 6 lasagna-style cuts.
SO GOOD! And really satisfying on so many levels.
📖 Recipe
Chipotle Beef and Butternut Bake
Ingredients
- The top part neck of a medium-sized butternut squash (400-500g)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 sweet onion
- 1 7- oz can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 3 oz Colby-Jack cheese sliced thin (grated would work, too), divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Slice the butternut squash about ⅛-inch thick (I used a mandoline). Set aside.The top part
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onion.1 pound ground beef, 1 sweet onion
- While it’s cooking, puree the can of chipotle peppers until smooth.1 7- oz can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- Add the pureed peppers to the beef once it’s browned.1 7- oz can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- Stir it in until well combined and lower the heat to a simmer.
- Spray a casserole dish (mine is 11×8 I think) and put down a layer of sliced butternut.
- Top the butternut with ⅓ of the chipotle beef mixture and 1 ounce of the cheese.3 oz Colby-Jack cheese
- Top with another layer of butternut, beef, and cheese.
- Make one more layer, this time just the butternut and beef. Set aside the last ounce of cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, remove the aluminum foil. Test the doneness of the squash; it should be soft. There may be a lot of liquid that escaped from the butternut — simply remove as much as you can with a baster.
- Top everything with the last ounce of cheese and bake for about 10 more minutes, so the cheese melts and just starts to brown.
- Cut into 6 servings and enjoy!
Notes
- I used beef for this, but there's no reason you couldn't use super lean turkey or chicken to cut back on the fat.
- If you like spice but not this much spice, puree the peppers without the sauce in the can. The heat is mostly found in the adobo sauce.
- Any cheese would work, of course. A good cheddar may even be better.
- If you can't find the peppers at your local grocery store, they are available on Amazon.
Claude (Ironman) M.
Yum, the perfect breakfast!