Butternut Squash Whipped Feta Dip

gluten free / vegetarian

This holiday dip is an amazing recipe to whip up when you’re hosting and need something quick & easy to throw on the coffee table for people to munch on. This is my butternut squash whipped feta dip!

I’m obsessed with whipped feta dip ever since I had it at Butcher & Bee when I loved in Nashville. Butternut squash was the perfect pairing to add to this dip. It brings out a sweetness against the sharp feta cheese. This is favorite way to make the butternut squash also, and it’s not just simply roasting it and blending it.

What you will need to make this butternut squash whipped feta is

• butternut squash

• ricotta

• crumbled feta

• garlic

• shallot

• apple cider

• olive oil

• thyme + sage + red pepper flakes

• salt + pepper

• honey or hot honey

I took a lot of inspiration from Ina Garten and her butternut squash bruschetta. (If you haven’t tried it yet, it’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever eaten and now I always make it around the holidays.) She roasts the butternut squash and meanwhile, slowly sautés shallots and then adds apple cider and reduces it down before adding in the roasted butternut squash to the pan.

Butternut Squash Whipped Feta Dip

ingredients:

• 2 cups cubed butternut squash

• 1 head of garlic, sliced in half horizontally

• 2/3 cup crumbled feta

• 1/2 cup ricotta

• 1/4 cup olive oil + 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 shallot, sliced

• 1/4 cup of apple cider

• 1 tbsp fresh chopped sage

• 1 tbsp thyme

• pinch of red pepper flakes

• 1 tbsp honey or hot honey

• salt + pepper

• toppings

  • olive oil

  • honey or hot honey

directions:

1. preheat oven to 400 F.

2. add the butternut squash to a parchment paper lined sheet pan and toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, some of the fresh sage, thyme, and salt + pepper. pour a little bit of the olive oil on top of the garlic head that it cut in half. turn the garlic head over to be face down on the sheet. bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway.

3. sauté the shallots with the red pepper flakes and the rest of the sage and thyme on low heat and once they soften, add in the apple cider. reduce it so it becomes thick. once the butternut squash is done cooking and is soft to the touch, toss the squash into the pan with the shallots and apple cider.

4. in a food processor, add the feta, ricotta, butternut squash/ apple cider/ shallot mixture, olive oil, and honey. squeeze out the roasted garlic frrom its shell and blend for 4-5 minutes until it becomes smoothe and creamy.

5. store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

6. top with more red pepper flakes, herbs, olive oil, and a big drizzle of honey/hot honey and serve with your favorite pita chips or crackers!

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