• Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Peel The Butternut Squash:

• To peel the butternut squash, remove the top and bottom of the squash with a sharp knife. This will give you a flat surface on both the top and bottom portion of the fruit and make it easier to peel and cut.
• Place the flat bottom surface of the squash on a cutting board. Carefully remove the skin with a knife or a good quality vegetable peeler.
• Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds from the bottom portion with a large spoon. Discard the seeds and membranes.
• Cut each half of the squash into rounds and then cut the rounds into chunks. It’s important that the chunks are relatively the same size to ensure even cooking. 1 large butternut squash yields 6 or so heaping cups.

Prepare The Butternut Squash Dip:

• Peel 6 large cloves of garlic.
• Peel 1 large onion. Cut the onion into large chunks, removing any thin outer skin.
• Place the cubed butternut squash on a large baking sheet. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over the squash. Sprinkle 2 ½ tsp. smoked paprika, ½ tsp. nutmeg, and ½ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper over the squash.

  Toss the butternut squash in the olive oil and spices until completely coated.

  Feel free to sub 2 ½ tsp. of garlic powder in place of the garlic cloves. Simply add the garlic powder at the same time as the other spices and omit the garlic cloves entirely.
• Place the garlic and onions on a separate baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and toss to coat.
• Place the baking sheets in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the garlic from the baking sheet and set aside (the garlic takes less time to roast than the other ingredients). Return the pan to the oven and roast for another 20 minutes.

  Remove and allow the veggies to cool slightly.
• Drain and rinse 1 15 oz. can of white beans or cannellini beans.
• Place the roasted butternut squash, onions, and garlic in the food processor along with 1 15.5 oz. can of drained and rinsed white beans, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt.
• Place the cover on the food processor and pulse until all of the ingredients are combined. Pour 1 cup of water into the food processor as you pulse until the mixture becomes thick and creamy.

  Complete this step in two batches if you have a small food processor.

  If it seems too thick or chunky, simply add a bit more water to thin it out in the food processor until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Transfer all of the butternut squash dip from the food processor to a serving dish that's safe for oven cooking (a pie plate or ceramic baking dish works great).
• Grate 1 cup of Gruyere cheese or flavorful cheese such as sharp cheddar, Emmantaler, or Fontina cheese. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top of the dip.
• Place the dish in the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the cheese has completely melted.
• Remove the dish from the oven.
• Zest 1 lemon over the top of the dip using a Microplane. Feel free to add some extra smoked paprika or fresh herbs.
• To Serve: Serve dip with gluten free crackers, crostini, sliced apples, or fresh veggies.