# Chili in a can: have you ever used it for anything but hot dogs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 26, 2009, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543 "2009-02-26T18:51:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543/61 "2009-02-28T07:49:12Z")
I gained nearly a full pound of fat just reading that recipe, AveDementia. It does sound, delicious, though! ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543/62 "2009-02-28T19:57:41Z")
I have eaten chili (with beans) right out of the can. Quick, easy & tasty. I also use canned chili as a ‘gravy’ for things… Fritos, frozen french fries or Tater Tots, baked potatoes and rice are all good with chili & some cheese on top. Still quick & easy and even tastier. My favorite use for canned chili, though, is what my family calls Dog Food Casserole (this dish’s official name is Easy Tamale Pie). Thaw 4 or 5 frozen tamales and crumble them into a casserole dish. Toss in 3/4 cup or so of frozen corn and a can of drained, sliced black olives. Add a can of chili with beans and stir it up good. Right here is where you’ll see how the dish got its nickname – it really does look like dog food at this point. Carry on, though. Add some grated cheese and stir it in, then put more grated cheese on top. Bake it (uncovered) at 350 degrees until it puffs up a bit and the cheese is nice and bubbly – about 1/2 an hour. This is good, GOOD stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543/63 "2009-02-28T20:15:23Z")
I once ate generic canned chili out of the can, cold. It was not too long before I also ate my injured co-pilot. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543/64 "2009-02-28T20:21:24Z")
> [@Khampelf](#): > > I once ate generic canned chili out of the can, cold. > It was not too long before I also ate my injured co-pilot. You lie. A normal person would eat the co-pilot first. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Rapier42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/90db22/32.png) [@Rapier42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rapier42)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543/65 "2009-02-28T20:21:57Z")
Haven’t read the thread yet, but canned chili and grated cheese over a pyrex full of frozen burritos makes for quick dinner on a busy night. ---
**Author:** ![Rapier42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/90db22/32.png) [@Rapier42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rapier42)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543/66 "2009-02-28T21:35:58Z")
> [@AveDementia](#): > > One can of chili with no beans. > One package of cream cheese. > One bag of Frito scoops. > > Put chili in bowl, put cream cheese on top (in pieces, preferably, for better melting), put bowl in microwave. Heat and stir. Use scoops for dipping. > > I actually split it between two bowls before heating, for my bf and I. It’s much better with cream cheese than cheddar, in my opinion. Cream cheese? _blink_ I must try this. No beans, you say? ---
**Author:** ![Elyanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@Elyanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elyanna)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543/67 "2009-02-28T22:09:17Z")
Yes, on chili tacos (which is similar to what I think a lot of people call Frito Pies). Good camping food. ---
**Author:** ![AveDementia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@AveDementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AveDementia)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543/68 "2009-03-01T03:21:49Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I gained nearly a full pound of fat just reading that recipe, AveDementia. It does sound, delicious, though! Yes, it’s very high calorie, thanks to the cream cheese. We consider it a meal rather than a snack, and only have it every few months as a treat. Of course it helps that you don’t feel like eating again for three days afterwards. > [@Rapier42](#): > > Cream cheese? > > _blink_ > > I must try this. No beans, you say? No beans, I say. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543/69 "2009-03-01T06:10:24Z")
Oh god. I’m a sucker for Hormel Chili “NO BEANS”. Rip the top off, dump it into a bowl like dog food, bombard it with radiation for 2 minutes, then toss a heapin’ handful of shredded sharp cheddar onto it. Then I’ll butter up a couple slices of bread, crack open a can of Pepsi, and click on the tube. Bliss. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543/70 "2009-03-01T07:22:38Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Well, I’m ok with where the thread has gone, but what I meant when I wrote the OP was what Thudlow Boink calls “hot dog sauce” in post #18. I’ve eaten Stagg and some other brand that came in a jar. That stuff isn’t chili, it’s chili sauce, and it’s meant to be a sauce. I’ve never heard of anyone eating it plain. My husband likes it on his hot dogs, but he also likes regular chili with beans on his franks. But what he and I really like is Frito chili pie. He likes diced onion on his, I can’t eat raw onion, so I’ve never even tried it. But Frito chili pie is an excellent camping food, assuming that it’s cool enough that the cheese doesn’t melt before you need it to. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543/71 "2009-03-01T08:02:51Z")
> [@Mudshark](#): > > A coworker uses canned beanless chili when she makes chili casserole. (Basically chili with tatertots on top). This sounds oddly good, and a perfect bachelor’s dinner. What’s the recipe? Dump a couple of cans in a pan, cover with frozen tater tots, bake until tots are browned? Anyway, I’m a Hormel Vegetarian Chili fan. I usually dump it in a bowl, microwave for 90 seconds, cover with a handful of cheese (and some raw chopped onion if available), then season to taste with Sriracha sauce. Total cost of meal: $1.50 to $2. High sodium, though, so I try to not eat it all that often. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543/72 "2009-03-01T16:14:26Z")
This thread is giving me heartburn. But seriously, the idea of canned chilli just sounds so gross. I don’t know why? I’ll eat just about anything else out of a can… but processed chilli? Nope can’t see it. Homemade Chilli is so easy to make and so good. Guess I’m a chili purist, and a fan of actual spice and flavor… I can’t imagine that canned chili can stand up to a bowl of homemade? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543/73 "2009-03-01T17:36:28Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > I can’t imagine that canned chili can stand up to a bowl of homemade? Nobody claims that it does. But there are times when making a bowl of red is just too much trouble or too much time or too much chili. Then, a can of Dennison’s Hot with suitable modifications will serve. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543/74 "2009-03-01T18:10:04Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > That stuff isn’t chili, it’s chili sauce, and it’s meant to be a sauce. I’ve never heard of anyone eating it plain. See, I kind of agree with you, which is what inspired this thread, but look at the labels I linked to in post #58. They don’t say Hot Dog Sauce or Chili Sauce; they say Chili. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543/75 "2009-03-02T01:26:06Z")
When I was a kid, I’d eat the Dennison’s and Hormel, and loved it. Now my favorite is the canned organic veggie chili sold at Trader Joe’s. It’s delicious. It’s true that canned chili doesn’t taste like homemade. But then again, homemade doesn’t taste like canned chili either. It’s not which is better, it’s what you’re in the mood for. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543/76 "2009-03-02T21:21:01Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > look at the labels I linked to in post #58. They don’t say Hot Dog Sauce or Chili Sauce; they say Chili. IME, chili intended to be primarily used as a sauce (whether it says “sauce” or not) has a texture that’s markedly different from other chili. Hormel chili without beans can go either way but it’s not as smooth as the other one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-in-a-can-have-you-ever-used-it-for-anything-but-hot-dogs/487543.md?page=3)