10 Creative Ways To Use Canned Chili That Aren't Just Chili Dogs

Canned foods are delightfully convenient when stocked in the pantry. You never know when they'll come in handy or how you can incorporate them into a dish for a more filling or interesting culinary experience. Canned chili is one example that's especially versatile; we deemed it an absolute must-have canned food, along with tomatoes and beans. While chili is tasty on its own, we wanted to highlight some creative ways to use the food beyond eating it as is. We'll discuss how to incorporate canned chili into other dishes, what it brings, and why it works. 

But before we begin, it helps to mention that there are different types of canned chili. These include bean-inclusive and bean-free varieties, with meats such as turkey or beef; some have veggies and everything in between. For the most part, they'll all work. You may find that you want to incorporate a specific chili's flavor or texture into a dish, too. Whether you have a bulk amount of canned chili you're feeling uninspired by or just want a heartier dinner, these ideas will give you plenty to work with.

When you're seeking a dinner not too troublesome to make, look no further than pairing canned chili with macaroni and cheese. To make your meal even easier to assemble, opt for boxed mac and cheese rather than making it from scratch. That way, you can lighten some of your pantry stock to feed the family. Chili mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort meal because it's warming, hearty, and filled with familiar favorites that kids love. A chili with beans and meat can be a stellar choice to bolster the protein content and nutrients in the dish, but just about any canned chili works. 

You'll still get that blend of seasoned chili and gooey macaroni and cheese in each bite. The texture of the chili offers a welcome mouthfeel, so it doesn't feel one-note on the tongue — sometimes those limp boxed noodles can be boring after a few bites. The canned good is a wonderful option to give mac and cheese more dimension without having to add other ingredients.

Baked potatoes are pretty versatile in that you can finish them off with familiar favorites like cheese, sour cream, and scallions. You could also opt for unexpected toppings to level up your baked potato with additions like hummus, canned tuna, or pesto. But we're here to vouch specifically for canned chili atop your baked spud. It's like putting multiple ingredients together anyway, especially if you do a bean-and-meat chili or a vegetable chili with corn, jalapeño peppers, and green Anaheim peppers. 

Either of these options adds dimension to the potato, which means there's no need to spend more time in the kitchen cooking ground beef or cutting corn kernels from the cob. Simply pop open a can, heat it, and then spoon it over the spuds. Then you can sprinkle on any toppings as desired, such as grated cheddar cheese, which will melt beautifully on top of the hot chili and potato. This meal is surprisingly filling, low-cost, and low-effort; that is a triple win in our book. Chili and potatoes also go with a lot of foods, so you can use random stuff from your fridge or pantry, like mushrooms or black beans.

There's nothing quite as familiar as a cheese and bread pairing, and we see that come together in a classic quesadilla. However, when you're in the mood to mix up your meal, you might want to consider adding chili. A chili quesadilla is even more filling and satisfying, and doesn't take much longer to put on the dinner table. You could use a bean or no-bean option for this one. Opt for no-bean, though, if you want to focus on the ground beef in the chili, but you could even add something like brisket to ramp up the protein further. 

The key is to go light on the chili; it's more about adding flavor and texture than using a full can on one quesadilla. You only need a couple of tablespoons per quesadilla because you don't want it all to fall apart when you take a bite. Larger flour tortillas work best to keep everything contained. Mild cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or any cheese that melts easily can work; for added dimension, try doing a blend like mozzarella with Oaxaca. Don't want the chili directly in the quesadilla? Then dip it into a bowl of warmed chili instead. Think of the quesadilla as a cornbread alternative.

Many stuffed pepper recipes already use ground beef, so incorporating a ground beef-laden canned chili is incredibly convenient. It's a huge timesaver since you don't have to cook the meat ahead of time. You can even skip rice so the focus can remain on the chili itself; instead, use crushed tortilla chips to sop up any extra moisture. Mix the chili, tortilla chips, cheese, and any other add-ins before scooping them into your beautiful bell pepper. Top with a layer of cheese and then pop them in the oven to heat. 

Everything is already pre-cooked, so this is a fantastic meal when you want dinner to come together in under 30 minutes, including any prep time. There's no wrong way to make these; you can cut the peppers in half lengthwise or simply cut the tops off and stuff them that way. After cooking, load them up with toppings (avocado, guacamole, sour cream, fresh cilantro, etc.) to make it an interactive meal for the family. We like this meal because it incorporates a nice helping of vegetables in a fun way to make it enticing to people of all ages (alright, we're talking about kids and toddlers).

Piping hot fries are incredible on their own, but adding chili on top can turn them from a humble appetizer to a full-on meal. You can choose homemade fries (here's a tip to make it even better), allowing you to customize the size and crispiness. But in the spirit of keeping things streamlined, frozen fries are just as effective and versatile. There are crinkle cut, shoestring, and even the coveted curly fries in freezer aisles. 

We specifically like bean-and-meat chili, but a no-bean chili is just as scrumptious if you want more concentrated carne. This really comes down to your personal taste. Cook the fries, heat the chili, then pour everything on top right away (cheese, too) to ensure freshness. Make sure to top it all off with a hefty serving of cheese so it's nice and gooey. You want a bit of a cheese pull as you pick up your fries. You only have so long until the chili starts to make your taters soggy, so you don't want to dilly-dally. Once assembled, add any toppings you desire, such as green onions, sour cream, and hot sauce for added heat.

You may already know that chili is a type of soup, and you're not wrong, but we're thinking a bit more out of the box here. We suggest using canned chili as the starter for soup. When you want to jazz up a regular can of chili, consider incorporating another canned good: tomato soup. These work together to establish a sweeter, more robust flavor that you wouldn't get from one or the other. This also creates a more liquid base to make it more soup-like and brothy, rather than a thicker stew that chili usually is right out of the can. 

It's an economical way to stretch your canned goods, too, and considerably more flavorful than simply adding water. You don't have to stick with a 1:1 can ratio either; for something heartier without being too liquid, opt for two cans of chili to one can of tomato soup. Alternatively, you could use a bunch of canned ingredients — chili, diced tomatoes, beans, corn, and then fresh cheese or Velveeta – to create a mega canned chili of sorts.

We're so used to eating chili with a spoon that we forget there are other ways to dig into it, like with chips or crackers. If a can of chili doesn't sound good, revamping it into a three-ingredient dip might make it all the more enticing. The great thing about chili dip is the copious amount of cheese, which gives it that dippable, gooey, creamy texture we know and love. There are many ways to approach a chili dip, but the easiest is a can of no-bean chili, cheddar cheese, and an 8-ounce package of cream cheese. 

The amount of cheddar comes down to how cheesy you want it, but it could be anywhere from 1 cup to a 16-ounce block. The second-best part about this dish — with taste being first — is how quickly it comes together. Everything can be assembled within 10 minutes, making it perfect for get-togethers or as game-day snacks. Using a no-bean chili gives it a smoother consistency, with just small pieces of ground beef, rather than large bits of beans or chunky corn. But you can always experiment based on what you have in the pantry.

Chili enchiladas might seem odd at first thought, but all the ingredients work pleasantly together in a way that's not far off from a traditional version of the dish. You only need corn tortillas, cheese, no-bean canned chili, water, and a smidge of oil. You can stuff them with a protein, like shredded rotisserie chicken, or follow your favorite enchilada recipe. Assemble as usual: stuffing and rolling the tortillas, then placing them in your baking dish. The key, though, is that we're using the no-bean chili as the sauce, paired with a bit of water to thin it out. 

You can season it with your desired spices, such as paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, or freshly chopped onion, to add a pop of texture. The chili acts just like enchilada sauce; use it to coat the tortillas and get into every crevice, ensuring there are no dry spots. No-bean chili is best because it's not too lumpy. As you plate your creation, feel free to top it with shredded lettuce to give it a burst of freshness, sliced jalapeños for added heat, or chopped tomatoes for texture and color.

Canned chili partnered with cheese is something we've seen a lot, and yes, we see it again in a chili cheese omelet. The flavors and textures work nicely to create a scrumptious egg dish you'll wish you had tried sooner. Now, we aren't mixing the chili directly into the raw egg or anything like that. We're simply stuffing the omelet with the canned good. It's straightforward and an unexpected way to use the chili for breakfast. 

Make your omelet as usual and put it on a plate once it's cooked. Spoon a bit of heated chili on one half of your eggy delight, then fold it over, top with cheese, sour cream, chopped onions, or whatever you like. We like to add a sprinkle of cheese to the chili itself so it melts when you fold the omelet, but this is a personal preference. Cheddar and Swiss are terrific cheese picks. We think a chili cheese omelet option is a particularly delicious way to revamp your morning routine without spending a lot of time baking muffins or doing much prep. 

We love casseroles because you can throw a bunch of ingredients together, cook them, and dinner's ready. A chili casserole couldn't be easier to make because you only need some Fritos corn chips (off-brand is fine), canned chili (bean or no-bean works), drained canned tomatoes, and cheese. Pour the chips into your dish, layer on the chili, then the tomatoes, and top with cheese. And now it's ready to bake. You could even make this in an instant cooker. Alternatively, you could do a chili cornbread casserole by placing the chili first, then adding prepped cornbread mix on top. Let it bake until fully cooked. It's so good that your family may want to add this to the weekly meal rotation.

For something entirely different, give your lasagna a comforting spin with canned chili. Here, we'll use the canned good in place of your standard tomato-based sauce. The bean-filled chili adds depth to each bite without any effort from your end. It's certainly an out-of-the-box type of lasagna, but the flavors work — it still incorporates tomato and meat, which you'd find in a standard lasagna anyway. Layer the chili, cheese, pasta, and it's ready to go in the oven.