Holiday beer season is upon us, and it’s the perfect time of year for soup, stew and chili recipes – all which benefit tremendously from the addition of (you guessed it) beer.Butternut squash is fall staple and makes a fantastic addition to chili. Since I never make chili without beer, I wanted to pick a style that would compliment the flavor of butternut squash while capturing the essence of fall. My choice? A holiday spiced ale.
For this particular recipe, I went with the Four In Hand Winter Brew – available at all Whole Foods Market stores. Deep red in color with flavors of caramel and winter spice, Four In Hand Winter Brew features hints of nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and orange zest.
Warm holiday spices blend with traditional chili spices in this unique and slightly sweet autumn chili. As with most chili, this recipe is best enjoyed with beer! Cheers!
Butternut Squash & Holiday Ale Chili
Ingredients
4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into approximately 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium bell pepper, finely chopped
4 gloves garlic, finely minced
1 fresh jalapeno, finely minced
1 TBSP fresh ginger, minced
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in their juices
1 (15-ounce) can black beans *
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans *
1 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 TBSP chili powder
1 bottle Four In Hand Winter Brew**
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste
*Can be substituted with different types of beans
**Can be substituted with different holiday spiced ale
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Toss butternut squash cubes with olive oil then spread onto baking sheet lined with foil. Sprinkle with the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Toss to evenly coat all of the squash. Roasted squash until golden brown squash becomes golden brown, roughly 15-20 minutes.
2. While the squash is roasting, heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook until the onion is translucent. Add bell peppers, jalapenos, ginger, chipotle and chili powders. Cook 1-2 minutes.
3. Turn heat to low and deglaze the pan with Four In Hand Winter Brew. Turn heat to medium-high and cook until beer is reduced by about half, roughly 8-10 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, beans, and roasted butternut squash. Lower the heat a bit and simmer 10 minutes to blend all of the flavors. Season to taste with salt, pepper & brown sugar.
5. Garnish with fresh cilantro and sour cream, crème fraiche or a vegan alternative.
And don’t forget to serve it up with a glass of Four In Hand Holiday Ale!
Do you use beer in your fall or holiday cooking? I’d love to hear about it.
