Butternut Squash Bisque!!!

So if I haven't mentioned it before... FALL is my FAVORITE SEASON!!! I mean, like I really love it!! How could you not, all good things happen in fall, for example; Thanksgiving, cool weather, pumpkins, my birthday (Oct 7th in case you where wondering), the day I married the man of my dreams, beautiful landscapes, I love to look at God's extraordinary creation in the fall ... and fantastic fresh fall produce. One of my newly discovered favorites is Butternut Squash!  I followed a recipe for butternut squash soup(Better Homes and Gardens) last year, but have found several others and since tweaked  them all to come up with this one! Our family loves it, so of course it will be our dinner on the first day of fall! Hooray!!

Butternut Squash Bisque

3 lbs of Butternut squash (peeled, seeded, and cubed)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c. butter
2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
1 stalk of celery, coarsely chopped
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 48oz box low sodium chicken broth
1 c. apple juice
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, chopped
1/2 c. sour cream

On a large dutch oven, melt butter. Add squash, carrots, celery, and garlic; stirring frequently until tender.
Add apples, broth, juice, ginger, and peppers. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Puree in batches in a blender; return to dutch oven. Whisk in sour cream until well blended. Heat thoroughly. Remove from heat and serve. Top with Smoked Gouda (a must), and bacon crumbles.