Hello lunch.

Chili Caramelized Thai Butternut Squash Lettuce Wraps I howsweeteats.com

I’m back on the bandwagon of my “new favorite thing.”

This is it. For now. Until my next new favorite thing comes along. Until I binge on enough butternut squash to be completely sick of it come December. Until I eat this same thing five days in a row because it tastes so delicious until it… doesn’t. It’s like I have palate ADD.

Many times I never know what I’m craving and what I really want to eat until the exact moment that I want to eat it. Especially around lunchtime. SO them I’m left with like twenty minutes to get my act together and come up with something that will make my high-maintenance foodself happy.

You know you know you know?

Chili Caramelized Thai Butternut Squash Lettuce Wraps I howsweeteats.com

If it was up to me I’d probably eat breakfast, grilled cheeseseseses, pizza and burgers for lunch everyday. I mean it is up to me but instead of eating like an jerkhead teenager I try to be an adult annnnnnd not give myself a myocardial infarction.

It’s depressing.

Chili Caramelized Thai Butternut Squash Lettuce Wraps I howsweeteats.com

I know that I probably don’t come to mind when you think LETTUCE wraps, but my dirty little secret is that I love them. Because my other dirty little secret is that I love iceberg lettuce in all it’s crisp, fresh, nutrientless glory. It’s just so darn refreshing.

And the only lettuce I like better than iceberg is butter lettuce. I freaking love butter lettuce. Shout it from the rooftops!

It’s probably no coincidence that it’s called butter lettuce.

It’s just so… soft.

If I can find a beautiful head of butter lettuce, it’s my number one choice for wraps. As you can guess, it all comes back to a texture thing.

Being a leeeettle nervous about how the texture of these wraps would stand up to my high demands due to the uncrisp nature of squash, I added some fresh red pepper strips and lots of crunchy peanuts. I can totally handle the vegetables in this state.

Chili Caramelized Thai Butternut Squash Lettuce Wraps I howsweeteats.com

I also caramelized the squash again (of course, because apparently I can’t eat it any other way this season) with some chili powder and brown sugar. Man, I may just start eating that on the regular. So awesome.

And I’m not too sure what my fascination is with squash and Thai-like flavors, other than it just plain out works and appeals to my taste buds. That’s how I cook here… stuff that I like.

I can’t keep any secrets from you.

Chili Caramelized Thai Butternut Squash Lettuce Wraps I howsweeteats.com

Thai Butternut Squash Lettuce Wraps

5 from 3 votes
Leave a Review »

Ingredients

thai dipping/drizzling sauce

Instructions 

  • Toss the squash with the salt, pepper and chili powder. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the coconut oil. Add the squash and cook until it is fork tender and slightly caramely in color, about 10 minutes. Half way through, drizzle in the honey to help the caramelization process.
  • Assemble the lettuce wraps by laying a few pieces of sliced red pepper in a butter lettuce leaf. Top it with the squash, then a hefty drizzle of the thai sauce. Add a sprinkling of the onions, peanuts and cilantro.

thai dipping/drizzling sauce

  • Combine all the ingredients together in a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and whisk until it is combined. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.

Notes

[sauce adapted from my sticky thai wings]
Instagram

Did you make this recipe?

Be sure to follow @howsweeteats on instagram and tag #howsweeteats. You can also post a photo of your recipe to our facebook page.
I appreciate you so much!

Chili Caramelized Thai Butternut Squash Lettuce Wraps I howsweeteats.com

Plus… more room for treats.