25+ Leftover Chili Recipes » LeelaLicious (2024)

FAQs

Do people put sugar in chili? ›

Leave out the ground beef and add your favorite kinds of beans to make this recipe vegetarian. Why is sugar used in this chili recipe? Sugar is used to cut the acidity of the tomatoes used in my homemade chili recipe.

After 15 minutes, pour in the black beans and kidney beans; return to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter until dissolved, then remove and discard the bay leaves, and season the chili with salt and pepper to taste.

Mmm! Now for the piece de resistance: 1-2 heaping Tablespoons brown sugar. The chili tastes completely different without the brown sugar so if you like a subtle sweetness in your chili then you've just got to go for it! Trust me, it will not make your chili taste like candy.

Beans and non-vegetable fillers such as rice and pasta are not allowed." If that sounds a bit uptight, the ICS's Homestyle Chili competition defines chili as: "any kind of meat, or combination of meats, and/or vegetables cooked with beans, chili peppers, various spices, and other ingredients.

Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.

The real key to great chili however is brown sugar! In fact, brown sugar is what gives the chili a subtle sweetness you never even knew you were missing. With both subtly sweet tones and punches of heat, this Sweet and Spicy Chili, lives up to it's name, it truly is sweet and sassy!

It also can help add richness by complementing the chile powder with its nutty sweetness, and the healthy fats in peanut butter can even tame your chili if it's too spicy. Next time, when making your favorite tomato-based chili recipe, consider adding a hearty tablespoon or two of peanut butter.

Butter smooths out the bitterness and adds its unique richness, making you take another bite without quite knowing why. A dash of sugar and vinegar gives a sweet-sour flavor that also makes the sauce rounder and more satisfying.

Cook ground beef, oil, onions, green pepper and garlic until beef is browned. Stir in chili powder and cumin. Add tomatoes, coffee, water, chilies, salt and pepper. Simmer covered 1 hour, then cook an additional hour uncovered.

What secret ingredient will deepen the flavor of your chili? ›

Stir some puréed pumpkin into your chili just after sautéing your aromatics (onions, garlic, etc...) and before adding any liquid. This will deepen and sweeten its flavor, making it a great balance for all the chile peppers and heat.

Cinnamon. The beauty of ground cinnamon is that it brings a warmth to your chili, without being spicy. It works well with other flavors commonly found in chili (like tomato, cumin and chile powder) so you only need a little bit to achieve the desired balance.

Some recipes use a combination of tomato juice, sauce, or paste along with ketchup. For a 12-serving pot of chili, up to a cup of ketchup will add the sweet and tangy flavors to each bowl. A smaller pot of chili, or one that uses diced tomatoes along with the juice, might only need ½-cup of ketchup instead.

A quick and easy pickle is a hot tip to preserve your chillies for an extra month, and they'll be great for adding to cooked dishes and salads. You can pickle whole or chopped, but if the former then prick small holes in them first to allow the salty vinegar to penetrate inside the fruit.

Any type of chili can stay safe to eat in the fridge for up to 4 days. As long as it was stored correctly in an airtight container, it's safe to freeze anytime within that time frame. Before freezing, it's a good idea to check if the chili looks or smells off.

You don't have to be a card-carrying leftovers lover to know that some foods are just better when reheated the next day -- especially chili. You'd be hard-pressed to find a chili that doesn't become even more flavorful after a brief stint in the fridge.

Sour cream, Greek yogurt, and even cheese help. Remove some of the chili. If things still aren't moving in a milder direction, start by removing a quarter of the volume of the chili (and save it as a chili starter for your next batch) and add in another can of beans and diced tomato.