20 Ways to Repurpose Leftover Chili

Friday, June 7, 2024
We love repurposing our favorite chili recipes into a whole other meal using our leftover favorite recipes like Old-World Chili, Texas Beef Skillet, and Buffalo Chicken Chili.

This can be made with all Homemade Chili or just use your favorite store-bought canned chili in a pinch.

Our recipe today is going to include fluffy biscuits on the top reminding me of a pot pie biscuit-topped chili combination or a cornbread topping shown below in our recipe card.

Plus if you're not a biscuit fan you can also top chili with your favorite homemade or packaged cornbread recipe.

Keep the biscuits or cornbread plain or mix in some chopped onions to sliced olives, try some chilies or hot jalapeno peppers in the dough.

The chili makeovers below can be created into so many possibilities, just pick something your family likes and adapt away!

A printable recipe card is available at the end so just scroll down to avoid the ads and just hit print.


biscuit topped chili






Easy Leftover Chili Remakes

  1. Top baked potatoes with leftover chili
  2. Make a taco salad bowls
  3. Top chili refrigerator biscuits, cornbread mix, or broken-up tortilla chips (see recipe card below for cornbread topping recipe or biscuit recipe)
  4. Make a chili cheese dip
  5. Fill enchiladas or burritos
  6. Make corn tacos or  flour tortilla tacos
  7. Pour over cooked pasta for a chili mac or make a taco rice
  8. Make a layer of chili and tortilla lasagna
  9. Topping for chili hamburgers and chili hotdogs
  10. Chili top cheese fries
  11. Nachos
  12. Make  hot pockets filling tortillas and bake or air fried
  13. Pour hot chili over hard-crusted bread, English muffins, or refrigerator-baked biscuits
  14. Make a  white chicken chili version of goulash using elbow macaroni
  15. Make a Frito pie
  16. Use as a filling for Stuffed Peppers or, Stuffed Chili Pasta Shells
  17. Use as a filling for Eggplant Boats or Stuffed Zucchini topped with cheese
  18. Use it as a topping for pizza 
  19. Use as a topping for polenta (pizzettes)
  20. Use as a filling for empanadas


garnishes for chili toppings


Garnish and Serving Suggestions

  • blue cheese dressing
  • ranch dressing
  • sour cream
  • lettuce
  • crackers, tortilla chips, pita bread points, garlic toast, potato chips
  • crumbled cooked crispy bacon
  • tomato diced
  • chopped onions
  • diced jalapeno peppers or other peppers
  • cayenne pepper for  extra heat
  • thickly sliced or shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • sliced black or green olives
  • chopped pickle slices
  • cilantro 
  • diced green onion 
  • green chilies
  • whole kernel corn
  • chopped green peppers
  • shredded carrots
  • finely chopped radishes
  • taco sauce
  • enchiladas sauce
  • salsa


homemade bean and beef chili


Pin for later



biscuit topped pin for later chili recipe


Repurpose That Leftover Chili It Has Endless Possibilities



Whether you use this as a topping or filling, leftover chili can be another amazing delicious meal and so easy.

Use your favorite chili recipe or our Old World Chili recipe.

Even a little Chicken Chili or our Southwest Chicken Chili, or our Merlot Chili will be delicious in this dip.

We also freeze the leftover chili in containers to repurpose on one of those busy days to make a quick meal during the week.

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chili recipes, repurposing chili recipes, biscuit recipes, cornbread recipes, pot pie chili recipes
American
Yield: 8
Author: Claudia Lamascolo
20 Ways to Repurpose Leftover Chili

20 Ways to Repurpose Leftover Chili

20 ways to repurpose leftover chili ideas plus homemade cornbread or biscuit topping recipes
Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 50 Min

Ingredients

  • Biscuit or Cornbread Topping Chili Bake
  • 4 cups or more of leftover chili
  • 1 small package of biscuit or cornbread mix to package instructions ( your brand you choose should make around 8 biscuits or scattered cornbread dumplings
  • Note: we have also topped the chili with refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
  • See under notes for optional mix-ins for the cornbread or biscuits below
  • Homemade cornbread recipe:
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/4 cups cornmeal
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • Optional additions: diced chilies, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped black olives
  • Homemade Biscuit Recipe:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons cubed butter
  • 3/4 cup milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to the instructions below or on the package of mix you're using. Grease a 10 x 10 casserole dish.
  2. Pour the chili into the greased baking dish.
  3. After mixing the desired topping for the chili, place the cornbread or biscuits on top and bake until golden brown either to the package instructions or by using the homemade instructions for each topping below.
  4. Directions for Cornbread Topping:
  5. Whisk the butter, milk, and egg until evenly blended.
  6. Fold in the dry ingredients.
  7. Add tablespoons randomly over to the top of the chili.
  8. Bake in the oven in a preheated oven at 400 degrees until the cornbread looks dry in the center of the biscuits around 20 minutes.
  9. Directions for Homemade Biscuit Topping:
  10. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
  11. In a large bowl mix the sugar, salt, baking powder, and flour with a whisk.
  12. Add the butter and with a fork blend the soft butter into the flour mixture until it look like cornmeal.
  13. Make a well in the center then add the milk and mix until well blended.
  14. Roll out the dough and make a round biscuit using a floured glass or biscuit cutter.
  15. Place on top of the chili.
  16. Using a pastry brush, add melted butter on each biscuit, with shredded cheddar cheese, granulated garlic powder, and any other topping you prefer.
  17. Bake at 450 degrees until biscuits are golden brown around 15 minutes or more.

Notes

Easy Leftover Chili Remakes



  1. Make a layer of chili and tortilla lasagna
  2. Topping for chili hamburgers and chili hotdogs
  3. Chili top cheese fries
  4. Nachos
  5. Make  hot pockets filling tortillas and bake or air fried
  6. Pour hot chili over hard-crusted bread, English muffins, or refrigerator-baked biscuits
  7. Make a  white chicken chili version of goulash using elbow macaroni
  8. Make a Frito pie
  9. Use as a filling for Stuffed Peppers or, Stuffed Chili Pasta Shells
  10. Use as a filling for Eggplant Boats or Stuffed Zucchini topped with cheese
  11. Use it as a topping for pizza 
  12. Use as a topping for polenta (pizzettes)
  13. Use as a filling for empanadas
  14. Make a taco salad bowls
  15. Top chili refrigerator biscuits, cornbread mix, or broken-up tortilla chips (see recipe card below for cornbread topping recipe or biscuit recipe)
  16. Make a chili cheese dip
  17. Fill enchiladas or burritos
  18. Make corn tacos or  flour tortilla tacos
  19. Pour over cooked pasta for a chili mac or make a taco rice
  20. Top baked potatoes with leftover chili


Garnish and Serving Suggestions

  • blue cheese dressing
  • ranch dressing
  • sour cream
  • lettuce
  • crackers, tortilla chips, pita bread points, garlic toast, potato chips
  • crumbled cooked crispy bacon
  • tomato diced
  • chopped onions
  • diced jalapeno peppers or other peppers
  • cayenne pepper for extra heat
  • thickly sliced or shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • sliced black or green olives
  • chopped pickle slices
  • cilantro 
  • diced green onion 
  • green chilies
  • whole kernel corn
  • chopped green peppers
  • shredded carrots
  • finely chopped radishes
  • taco sauce
  • enchiladas sauce
  • salsa




Pin for later





More Chili Recipes To Try:


Vegetarian Chili

White Chicken Chili

Southwestern Chili