I was recently in the mood to slow cook a spicy batch of chili on a cold Sunday afternoon. I wanted to cook and have the smell of savory food wafting through the house. Once the chili was in the works, I started to contemplate what to serve with it. Cornbread is a no brainer and a pretty difficult match to beat, but the fact that I had no cornmeal and really didn't want to go to the store nixed that option. I took a peak in the fridge and saw my inspiration, a leftover half of roasted butternut squash!
I think roasted sweet potatoes or any winter squash except spaghetti would work for this recipe. Sweet potatoes may be the easier option and do have a more intense flavor than butternut squash so I would likely make this recipe with sweet potatoes if I didn’t have the bonus of half of a squash already in the fridge.
Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick of unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon sugar (you could increase this by another 1 Tablespoon if you like)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 cup roasted sweet potatoes or winter squash
*Optional:
- Love cheese? Add 1/2 cup of shredded hard cheese.
- Black pepper and fresh herbs would be delicious too.
1. Roast sweet potato or squash and let cool completely. You don’t want to melt the butter. For tips on roasting squash, watch this video.
2. Put all dry ingredients into a food processor or mixing bowl with pieces of butter. If using a food processor, pulse until it forms a dry crumbly meal and the butter becomes pea sized pieces. If using a mixing bowl, use a pastry blender to get the same result.
3. Remove from food processor and put in bowl and add roasted sweet potatoes/squash and if adding cheese, add that now.
4. Mix with your hands until the mixture just starts to come together in your hand when you squeeze it.
5. Pour out contents onto clean surface and mix until the all the contents can be formed into a 1 to 1 ½ inch thick circle. I just cut the circle into triangles because it is so easy, but feel free to use a round cutter if you want a more classic shape.
6. Bake on a parchment-lined sheet pan at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
Enjoy these biscuits with chili, soups or braised dishes like short ribs. Imagine them topped with sausage gravy or with ham and eggs for brunch!
