You Can Turn Any Chili Into Meat Sauce

There is nothing strange in the fact that chili remained. Between the time, ingredients list, and prep time, I usually double or triple serving and eat for the rest of the week. Unfortunately, every time I cook food this way, I get tired of the repetition by the middle of the week, so I often have to get creative. You can prevent leftover chili from spoiling by the third day by turning it into meat sauce. All you need is one extra ingredient: cream cheese.

When I think of classic chili, I think of beef, red sauce and beans. (Agree, if you will, but I love beans in chili, and so does Brian Baumgartner .) Chili actually comes in a variety of flavors, colors, and thicknesses, so cream cheese is the perfect accompaniment. This strong but spreadable cheese is tangy with a bit of salt, but otherwise deliciously neutral. That’s why it makes a great bagel filling companion, whether you choose strawberry jelly or salmon. Beef chili, chicken and white beans, verde or veggie options – the cream cheese flavor is just right.

Aside from adding a nice tartness and compatible cheesy flavor, the only thing stopping your chili from becoming a real sauce is the thickness. Dip has a thicker texture than chili peppers. No matter how thick it may be, the liquid will always be a little loose and watery. Cream cheese contains enough saturated fat to be crisp and fluffy when warm and firm but pliable when cold. It thickens without being a “thickener” like cornstarch or flour. Once the cream cheese has been mixed with the chili, you can enjoy a creamy consistency while hot and a thicker, coarser consistency when at room temperature or cold.

Turning chili into sauce is quick and easy. Place the cream cheese in a bowl and microwave until melted, fluffy and smooth, about 30 seconds. Add chili pepper and stir. If your chili has just been taken out of the fridge, you may need to put it back in the microwave to heat it up even more. Stir until fully incorporated. Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve with chips. Below is a recipe I recently used, but depending on the consistency of the chili you start with, play around with the amount of cream cheese you add to achieve different results. A fairly crumbly homemade chili made with lots of tomatoes may require a full eight ounces of cream cheese, but a thicker, store-bought chili may require as little as four.

chili sauce

Ingredients:

• 6 oz cream cheese
• 2 cups chili, room temperature or warm

Place the cream cheese in a bowl and soften it in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds, stirring after 20 seconds. Add chili pepper and stir until completely dissolved. Reheat in the microwave if necessary. Serve with tortilla chips, vegetables or pita chips.