Hey Steemians!  What has happened to our year?

The past few months have been a blur.  But, I am super excited about the next few months.  My Dad always says that once we hit October, the year is gone.  The holiday season is just too short, don't you think?

All of these food photos were taken with my Nikon D5300 and my favorite Lens, the Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G, ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL!

I am planning to do everything I can to make my family sick of pumpkin spice and everything nice before the season is over. I love autumn and all it's flavors and I spend the whole year wanting them. Even with my opposite season problems, (remember, I am in Chile), I’m loving the nostalgic tastes and smells.

One of the amazing things about this time of year is all of the different squashes.  I have mentioned this numerous times in previous posts, but we do not have 'REGULAR' pumpkins here in Chile.  You, know, the big orange jack-o-lantern kind.  However, we do have similar varieties that provide the same or very near the same flavor as our favorite pumpkin and butternut squash recipes.

A while back, I tried adding pumpkin into a cheese sauce.  I was very pleasantly surprised by the final result.  It's a great way to camouflage some good wholesome veggies into your family's meals.  Trust me, the picky eaters won't even know it's in there.  The pumpkin actually adds a slight sweetness.  And, the color that it adds is spectacular.  If you want to know the truth of it, the reason I tried adding pumpkin in the first place was to make my MAC & CHEESE dish have more of that chedder cheese look.  Here in Chile, our chedder is white, they do not add any coloring which is actually fantastic, but, for that nostalgic chedder appearance, pumpkin works great for me.

 

One thing I love about Steemit is that it allows me to share with you.  Share my creations and work with you.  For example, this recipe.  It is a great way to satisfy the picky eaters and at the same time deliver real food and nutrition.  I sincerely hope you give it a try.

RECIPE

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breasts*
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 16 ounces (or 450g) penne pasta noodles, cooked al dente and drained
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 1/2 cups butternut squash, pureed**
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup grated swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Optional Toppings:

• 1/2 cup additional parmesan
• 1/2 cup crispy bacon bits
• 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook on both sides, flipping once, until just cooked through , about 5-6 minutes on each side. Set aside and cover to keep warm. (If using rotisserie chicken you can skip this step.)
2. Add the other tablespoon of oil to the pan and cook the onions, peppers and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add the squash puree and stir constantly for about 1 minute until darkened, then remove pan from heat and scrape the contents into a separate bowl or plate and set aside for a moment.
3. Now melt the butter in the skillet and whisk together the milk and flour in a measuring glass or cup until smooth. Pour the mixture into the pan and stir constantly to combine with butter then continue stirring until it starts to thicken. Pour in the broth and add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and paprika, then bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and add the yogurt( or sour cream) and cheeses and stir until evenly melted into the sauce.
4. Chop the chicken into bite-size pieces and add it to the sauce along with the veggie mixture and stir until evenly heated through. Now add the pasta and gently fold into sauce until evenly combined. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper and serve hot. If desired top with extra parmesan, toasted pepitas, and bacon bits.

Notes*For the chicken breasts you can use skin on or choose skinless. Another alternative is to replace the breasts with the meat from one cooked rotisserie chicken **To cook the squash for a puree you can choose to either roast or boil it. Pumpkin puree can be substituted as well. 

AND A HUGE MASSIVE SHOUT OUT TO@rigaronib for designing my logo!!!!  I am always open to feedback, and would love to know how you feel I could do better and please do not forget to

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