5 Things to do with Your Chili Leftovers

You spent all Sunday afternoon making an extra-large batch of chili (the minced meat was on sale!), and your family isn’t jumping for joy at the thought of eating the same thing all week long. What’s one to do? Don’t panic! We have chili recipe ideas for you to try, along with five ways to use your leftovers in order to change up your menu. A great way to save time in the kitchen!

Different chili recipes

There are 1,001 ways to make chili: with beef, veal, pork, turkey, and even meatless (with beans alone and/or with tofu and plant-based ground), with classic ingredients (tomatoes, cumin, etc.), or unusual ones, like sweet potatoes cooked in the crockpot, on the stove, or in the oven. Looks like there’s enough chili recipes to cover each day of the year!

Chili macaroni

There are many ways to make this, the easiest probably being heating up your chili in a large pot and adding your cooked macaroni and some of the cooking liquid to get a nice, smooth sauce. Cheese lovers can even bake their chili macaroni in the oven or use their chili to add some oomph to their homemade mac and cheese—a winning combination for the little ones!

For all your mac and cheese recipes, be sure to try this Compliments triple cheddar blend: always tasty and always affordable!

Texas chili fries

Texas chili fries are like the Texan equivalent of our poutine. Simply sprinkle some shredded cheese over hot, crispy fries, and top with a generous helping of preheated chili. You can add minced green onions and a dollop of sour cream for even more yumminess!

Homemade pizza pockets

A lunchtime favourite! Using homemade or store-bought pizza dough, make small disks and top them with some chili and shredded light mozzarella cheese. Close them up to form a pocket, pinching the edges together, and bake at 220°C (425°F), until crispy and golden.

Don’t have the time (or patience) to knead pizza dough? Place your toppings in the centre of a large whole wheat tortilla, folding each side over. Cook folded side down, at the same temperature specified above, until the tortilla is hot and crispy.

Chili sloppy joe

A sloppy joe is a sandwich made with minced meat stew, seasoned and simmered in tomato sauce and served on a slider bun, or, even better, a sweet mini brioche bun. Swap the usual filling with leftover chili, for a chili sloppy joe! Serve with a tart coleslaw for a complete, colourful meal.

Western omelette

When there’s enough chili for one, but there are four mouths to feed, make a plain omelette, calculating two or three eggs per person. Top one half with chili and crushed feta cheese, and fold the other half over top. Serve with hot sauce and sour cream, for a super simple brunch!

Chili dogs and nachos

Still haven’t gone through all that chili? Use it in an American-style tailgate party dish: think over nachos, baked in the oven, or in chili dogs, generously topped with cheese and cilantro. Score!