Uses for Chili Leftovers
Our favorite chili recipes paired with four easy ways to make your leftovers shine for days.
No matter how big the appetites are around your table, a bowl of hearty chili tends to be bottomless the night it’s served. And thankfully so, because next-day leftovers are some of chili’s greatest gifts to the American menu. Get creative with a little dish diversity and try the following chili topped servings:
- Cincinatti Chili: Add a little allspice and cinnamon, and serve atop ropey spaghetti for a quickie Cincinatti Chili.
- Chili Dogs and Burgers: For a quick and easy dinner, top a hot dog or burger with your classic condiment fixin’s and a spoonful of chili.
- Cheesy Chili Dip: Melt chunks of your favorite cheddar cheese with leftover chili for a creamy queso-equse dip. Serve with tortilla chips for a crowd-pleasing appetizer.
- Mexican Chili Dishes: Give burritos, tacos and quesadillas a chili change-up by using leftovers in place of beans or even ground beef.
- Texas Pie: Eat your chili leftovers as Texans do. The Dallas delicacy known as "Texas Pie" is chili ladled over corn chips, topped with sour cream, shredded Cheddar, chopped onions and pickled jalapenos.
—By Emily Arno
Chili gets a Midwestern twist with hints of spice and cocoa and lots of beans and cheese.
This thick Texas-style chili will be the hit of your Super Bowl Party! To crank up the heat, add chopped chipotle peppers in adobo.
Rotisserie chicken and canned garbanzo beans make this hearty chili an easy meal.
Dried cherries add a faint sweet tempering to a robust turkey chili.
Chicken, cheese, tomatoes, and beans in a creamy chili.
