In October I was at an event over at Whole Foods and I was lucky enough to be one of the judges in a contest between some local chefs.

The food was fantastic!  One dish in particular that I really enjoyed and found to be very unique was the squash hummus.  It was light, creamy, and slightly sweet.

Delicious!

I decided to try my hand at making something similar because I thought it would be the perfect dish to take to gatherings and potlucks.  Something familiar yet a little different.

While my version isn’t nearly the same as The Kitchen’s, it came out how I wanted and makes for a lovely party dip.  It’s also super simple to make!

Andrea’s Butternut Squash Hummus

• 1 can of Chickpeas, drained, rinsed (and if you feel inclined, remove the skins)
• 2C of Peeled and Cubed Butternut Squash
• 1tsp Olive Oil
• 1 3/4C Honey Yogurt (I used Noosa, but you can use Greek Honey as well)
• 1/2tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1TBSP Maple Syrup

Preheat oven to 400.  Toss the squash with the oil and place on a baking sheet.  Roast until the squash just starts to soften and turns a little brown around the edges.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In a food processor place the chickpeas, pulse just until the chickpeas start to break down.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add in the squash, yogurt, syrup, and cinnamon.  Pulse until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy.

Store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.  Serve with graham crackers or lightly salted pita chips.

See, easy peasy!

I had a large squash that I peeled and chopped.  I used two cups from that bunch and the rest I put in a bag in the fridge to use later.

If you do have this dip out at a party, it’s best to put it out in small batches and refill when needed. You don’t want the yogurt to turn.

This will last about 4 days in the fridge.

I made it sweet because I wanted a little something different but squash plays very nicely with spice as well.  You could use curry or even some chili powder here if you wanted to try and make a savory version.

Now you have something fun and easy to take to your holiday parties!

Have fun kids, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!