Serve it as part of your holiday feast (keep reading for an entire honey-inspired holiday menu!) or enjoy it with quinoa as a simple, nourishing meal.

I created this recipe for my client, National Honey Board. Thank you for supporting the products that keep me inspired in the kitchen and help make Healthy Delicious possible.

For years, winter squash made an almost-nightly appearance on our dinner table between October and February. Then, for some reason, it fell off my radar. Save a random spaghetti squash here or there, we’ve barely eaten it at all in the last few years. This winter, I’m making an effort to include more squash in my life. And I’m starting with acorn squash because, let’s be honest, any vegetable that’s routinely served with a sticky-sweet glaze has a special place in my heart. I mean, yeah.

This honey chipotle acorn squash recipe is incredibly simple, but it has so much flavor. Honey adds the sweetness that we’ve all come to expect acorn squash to have, while minced chipotles in adobo contribute smokey heat. Add a pinch of salt, some lime juice for an acid, and a handful of cilantro for a hint of freshness, and you’ll be left smacking your lips.

As an added bonus, this recipe is incredibly affordable. Acorn squash has been on sale for something ridiculous like 30-cents a pound lately. The rest of the ingredients (there are only six of them) are pantry staples that I always have on have. This recipe will definitely be making a regular appearance this winter.

Honey is an emulsifier, which makes it a great ingredient to thicken and add body to sauces and dressings. For this recipe, I adapted my favorite honey-chipotle vinaigrette and used it to add a touch of sweet heat to roast acorn squash slices. Half of the dressing is brushed onto the squash before it goes into the oven, so the sugars can caramelize and brown (yum!). Honey helps attract moisture, so it also keeps the squash from drying out or getting leathery.

As a final touch, the remaining vinaigrette gets drizzled over the cooked squash right before it’s tossed with fresh cilantro. If you really want to get festive, you can go ahead and throw some pomegranate arils on there, too.

Like I mentioned above, this honey chipotle roast acorn squash is really versatile. It has a ton of flavor, so it can definitely hold it’s own as the main highlight of your dinner (although you might want to make a double serving.) Originally though, I created it as a side dish for a honey-inspired holiday menu. If you love honey as much as I do, you’ll definitely want to check it out – we have you covered from a pre-dinner cocktail right through dessert!

Cocktail

Honey Pear Cardamom Sangria

Appetizer

Brie en Croute with Honey Almonds, Cherries and Thyme

Main Course

Bacon Wrapped Honey Pork Loin

Honey Chipotle Acorn Squash

Quinoa, rice, or other grain of your choice

Dessert

Honey Apple Gingerbread Cake

You can also visit honey.com for loads of recipe ideas perfect for any time of year!

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Honey Chipotle Roast Acorn Squash

Honey chipotle roast acorn squash is one of those recipes that’s meant as a side dish but works just as well as the star of your dinner table. Serve it as part of your holiday feast (keep reading for an entire honey-inspired holiday menu!) or enjoy it with quinoa as a simple, nourishing meal.

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 174kcal

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 2 small acorn squash
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 2 limes juiced
• 1 generous pinch salt
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• ⅛ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

• Heat your oven to 350ºF.
• Cut the acorn squash in half, stem to root. Scoop out the seeds and pulp. Cut the squash into 1/2-inch slices and arrange it in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Mince the chipotle pepper very finely and place it in a small bowl. Add the honey, lime juice, and salt; mix in the olive oil. Brush half of the honey-chipotle glaze onto the squash.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the squash is tender and the underside is golden brown. Drizzle the roast squash with the remaining glaze and sprinkle with cilantro.

Notes

Any extra chipotles in adobo can be frozen for use another time.

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 507mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g

I love developing new recipes and being creative in the kitchen, but when I feel like taking a night “off” I love trying recipes from some of the other blogs that I read. I’m always amazed at how talented my friends are! Healthy Seasonal Recipes is one of my favorites, and I was so excited to receive a review copy of Katie’s brand new cookbook, Maple.

You guys, this book is GORGEOUS and every recipe in it sounds incredible – I want to cook it cover to cover.

There are over 100 sweet and savory recipes inside, from Maple Cranberry Walnut Granola to Maple Tahini Chicken + Broccoli to Maple Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies. Katie is an amazing photographer, and the full color photos in the book are stunning (of course, if you’re familiar with her blog, you wouldn’t expect anything less.)

So far, I’ve tackled two recipes – the Sweet and Smokey Turkey Chili you see here and Katie’s Sap Baked Beans  – and they were both delicious. (See the sap baked beans on Instagram here.)

This Smokey and Sweet Turkey Chili is just the kind of recipe I love this time of year. It’s rich and warm and the maple syrup adds a subtle sweetness. The combination of maple with smoked paprika, chipotle powder, and fire roasted tomatoes, gives the sauce a bold, barbecue-like flavor that we loved.

The chili is ready in about 40 minutes, so it’s perfect for a weeknight. Or, make it on the weekend and let the flavors mingle in the fridge for an even easier Monday night dinner (as good as the chili is right away, chili is always better after it’s had time to sit.)

Pair the chili with cornbread muffins or corn chips – either way, you can’t go wrong.

For the recipe for sap baked beans, you’ll have to grab a copy of the book for yourself.  If you’re from the Capital Region, Katie is doing a demo and book signing at Healthy Living Market in Saratoga on November 21.

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Smoky and Sweet Turkey Chili

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil or organic canola oil divided
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 large Spanish onion diced
• 1 tablespoons freshly chopped garlic
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground dried chipotle or to taste
• 4 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes preferably fire roasted
• 1 15- ounce can dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
• ⅓ cup dark pure maple syrup
• 1 avocado diced
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup toasted pepitas

Instructions

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add turkey and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until completely browned. Transfer turkey and any juices to a bowl and set aside.
• Return pot to medium-high heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion, garlic, and salt and cook, stirring often, for 6 to 10 minutes, until onion is soft and browned.
• Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, and chipotle and cook, stirring, for 30 to 90 seconds, until spices are fragrant and starting to toast and darken slightly.
• Add vinegar and stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until liquid is evaporated.
• Add water and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits and spices from the bottom of the pot.
• Add tomatoes, beans, syrup, and browned turkey, stirring to combine. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 14 minutes, until turkey and onions are tender.
• Serve topped with avocado, cilantro, and pepitas.

Notes

This recipe is reprinted with permission from Maple by Katie Webster.