Winter Squash Festive Dip

I make this dip and then use either an ornamental pumpkin or turban squash that I've hollowed out and put it in it. It's super pretty as a center piece and it keeps people out of the kitchen while you are cooking Thanksgiving dinner. We have nut allergies so I don't do this, but a friend who uses this recipe adds pine nuts and pecans on the top as a garnish.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 55 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 647 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 pounds turban squash - halved, seeded, and cut into 3-inch pieces
• 2 heads garlic, top third sliced off and discarded
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
• 8 scallions, white and light-green parts only, sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 2 chipotle peppers (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Step 2

Place squash on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over squash and season with salt and pepper. Place garlic in a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle olive oil over garlic, and loosely wrap foil around garlic. Place garlic packet on the baking sheet with squash.

Step 3

Bake in the preheated oven until squash is soft and golden brown, about 50 minutes. Cool squash slightly.

Step 4

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir scallions until softened, about 4 minutes.

Step 5

Scoop meat from cooked squash and transfer to a food processor. Squeeze garlic cloves from skins and add to squash in food processor; add scallions and chipotle peppers. Pulse until mixture is smooth. Add remaining butter, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, and lemon juice; pulse just until combined but not smooth. Season dip with salt and pepper.

Step 6

Refrigerate dip for 1 hour.