Leftover Chili? Try Chili Cheese Dog Pizza Or Chili Cheese Mac From Grandma's Kitchen!

If you have made a big pot of chili and have more leftover chili than you know what to do with, be happy! Leftover chili recipes are plentiful, but two of my favorites are Chili Cheese Dog pizza and Chili Cheese Mac. These can both be made with canned chili, but if you want to bump them up a notch or two, try using the leftovers from homemade chili. Use your own chili recipe, or use mine, which is the best! Link to: http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Best-Chili-Recipe-From-Grandmas-Kitchen-And-Ways-To-Use-The-Leftovers! Whatever chili recipe you use, these two meals will be quick, easy and more than satisfying!

This pizza can be made in two ways; either with a traditional pizza crust or with a cornbread crust. Both are kid pleasers!

Chili Cheese Dog Pizza Recipe # 1:

• 1 box of Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix (follow the pizza crust recipe on the side of the box) or your favorite pizza crust, either homemade or already prepared refrigerated crust.)
• 2 - 4 cups of leftover chili or one or two cans of chili, warmed up (depending on the size of your pizza)
• 8 hot dogs, sliced thin and sauteed in a large frying pan with a little bit of oil to slightly crisp up the edges
• 8 to 16 ounces of grated sharp cheddar cheese (The amount you use depends on how much you like cheese.)
• 3 or 4 chopped green onions (optional)
• 1 or 2 seeded and finely diced tomatoes (optional)

The measurements for this pizza are based on using a 9 X 13 inch cookie sheet. Prepare your pizza dough as directed and prior to adding your toppings, bake the crust at the recommended temperature for half of the directed baking time. Remove from the oven. I use this method with every pizza I make because I hate soggy pizza. Top the pizza with the chili, then the hot dogs. Sprinkle the cheese over that and then add the onions and tomatoes. Return to the oven and bake for the remaining allotted time. Remove from the oven and allow the pizza to cool for a few minutes prior to cutting.

Chili Cheese Dog Pizza Recipe # 2:

• 1 corn bread pizza crust (For this crust, use your favorite corn bread mix, but instead of baking it in an 8 X 8 inch pan, spread the batter evenly over a sprayed 9 X 13 inch. Bake as directed. If you don't have a favorite cornbread mix, I strongly suggest trying one Marie Callender's Corn Bread Mix. It is awesome!
• 2 - 4 cups of leftover chili or one or two cans of chili, warmed up
• 8 hot dogs, sliced thin and sauteed in a large frying pan with a little bit of oil to slightly crisp up the edges
• 8 to 16 ounces of grated sharp cheddar cheese (The amount of cheese depends upon how much cheese you like.)
• 3 or 4 chopped green onions (optional)
• 1 or 2 seeded and finely diced tomatoes (optional)

The measurements for this pizza are based on using a 9 X 13 inch cookie sheet. Cook your cornbread crust as directed. Remove it from the oven and add the toppings in the same order as the recipe above. Return it to a 350 degree oven only until the cheese is melted, about 7 to 10 minutes. Allow it to cool slightly before cutting and serving. The variation in the amount of chili depends on how messy you like your pizza. It may be easier to put some chili on the side so it won't drip over the edges in the oven.

Again, there are two ways to make chili cheese mac. In the first, the chili and macaroni are mixed together and in the second, egg noodles are used, then the chili ladled over the top. Either way, both are good!

Chili Cheese Mac Recipe # 1:

• 4 cups of leftover chili (heated), or 2 14 ounce cans of your favorite canned chili
• 8 ounces of elbow macaroni, cooked as directed, and drained (I recommend Barilla pasta)
• 8 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• salt, to taste
• 3 to 4 green onions, chopped
• pasta water, as needed or chicken broth (preferred), usually one to two cups.

For this recipe, you want the chili to be saucy enough so that when it is mixed with the pasta, it does not dry out. That is why you will add some pasta water or chicken broth to the chili prior to adding the pasta. Chicken broth will add more flavor than pasta water.

Cook the pasta as directed, making sure that you add salt to the water. Prior to draining, remove 2 cups of pasta water or have 2 cups of chicken broth available. In a separate pot, warm up the leftover or canned chili. Add enough pasta water or chicken broth to create a soupy sauce. When the chili is heated, test for salt. Either add the grated cheese and macaroni to the pot now and heat until the cheese is melted or use a casserole dish. If you want to use a casserole dish, add the drained macaroni to the chili and combine. Pour the mixture into a sprayed casserole dish, top with the grated cheese and green onions and place the dish into a 350 degree oven until the cheese is bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Chili Cheese Mac Recipe # 2:

• 4 cups of leftover chili (heated to boiling), or 2 14 ounce cans of your favorite canned chili
• 12 ounces of egg noodles, cooked as directed, and drained
• 3 Tablespoons of butter
• 8 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 3 to 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup of chicken broth

Heat your leftover or canned chili in a pot. Add 1 cup of chicken broth. At the same time, prepare your egg noodles as directed and drain. Return the egg noodles to the pot and stir in butter until it is melted. Place some egg noodles on a plate or in a large soup bowl. Top with chili and sprinkle some cheese and green onions over the hot chili and serve.

Homemade chili can dry out after it has been frozen or it has been in the refrigerator for a couple of days. The texture changes from the fresh chili that you ate on the first day. The recipes for chili cheese mac require enough sauce for them to taste good. Nothing worse than dry chili cheese mac! The chicken broth will not substantially change the chili taste, it will just serve to add the extra liquid that you require for these two recipes to be successful. Pasta continues to absorb liquid as it is baked in the oven with other ingredients. That is why even when making simple baked mac and cheese, you can start out by putting a casserole full of creamy cheese sauce into the oven and even 20 minutes later, your baked mac and cheese will be dry.

Why seed a tomato and how to do it? Tomatoes have alot of liquid in them and the liquid comes from the seeds. Sometimes, you don't want your diced tomatoes to be so full of liquid. The liquid can dilute the flavor of foods. Cut the tomato in half. Usually, the seeds are visible. Reach you finger down into each side of the tomato and pull out the seeds. The liquid will come out as well. This way, your diced tomatoes will retain their shape while cooking.

My adult son loves the chili cheese dog pizza. Thinks it should be on the menus of pizza shops and restaurants!

Feedback is always important. If you try these and enjoy them, come back and let me know. Even if you don't, come back and help me improve them!