Leftover Chili and Eggs

Everyone knows chili is better the next day but it’s even better baked with eggs! Follow this Leftover Chili and Eggs recipe to turn your leftover game day chili into an epic protein packed meal. This recipe makes 4 main dish servings of chili plus enough leftovers to make 4 servings of Chili and Eggs.

If you think about it, eggs are one of the world’s most versatile proteins. From simple poached and fried eggs, to mousses and meringues, and to the foamy top layer on a fancy cocktail, eggs are the hero. It’s difficult to bake a cake or cookies without them and impossible to make a souffle without eggs.

Disclosure: This post is made possible by Egg Farmers of Alberta. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Leftover Chili and Eggs

Today I’m sharing two recipes with you. The first recipe is for our family’s homemade chili con carne, which means chili with meat. In this case, it’s ground beef but I’ve also made it with ground bison, ground turkey, ground chicken, and even tofu!

The second recipe is a meatier version inspired by Shakshuka (a Maghrebi dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion, garlic, and spices) using leftover chili.

This chili recipe is almost exactly the one my mom taught me to make when I was about ten years old. It contains the same ingredients, but packs more of a kick because I add Ancho chili powder and sometimes cayenne powder or red chili flakes. That’s the great thing about chili. You can make it your own with only a slight adjustment.

We love a bowl of this nourishing main dish on chilly days and in the heat of summer. I always serve it with shredded or diced cheddar cheese, extra chili flakes, sliced green onions, and a dollop of sour cream. It also is delicious with a side of freshly baked cornbread or hot buttered toast.

Chili con carne takes about 45 minutes total time from start to finish. The recipe makes a lot but big batch cooking means leftovers for baked chili and eggs the next day. Serve it with freshly baked cornbread, Cheesy Chili Muffins or Texas roadhouse rolls.

Does Chili Contain Beans?

Did you know chili con carne is originally from northern Mexico during the time of the Aztecs? Early descriptions of spicy chili pepper meat stews did not contain beans or tomatoes. I suspect both became money saving additions as this popular dish migrated northward.

By the way, we can’t talk about chili without mentioning Texas. Texans love chili so much they made it their official state dish. In Texas, the most popular version of chili is a beanless, tomato-free version of the spicy stew made with slow cooked shredded beef.

There’s always a debate about what should go into chili but there is no right or wrong way to make it. Everyone has their own version of this classic dish!

Besides ground beef, my version contains onions, green bell pepper, garlic, spices, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, corn, mushrooms, and plenty of beans. If you prefer not to use one or several of these ingredients, feel free to do so.

Ingredients for Leftover Chili and Eggs

These are the ingredients in my family’s chili con carne recipe, or my version of it. I like it a little spicy but not face-melting spicy. All of the ingredients are suggestions only, as everyone has their own favourite chili recipe and preferred spice level. The good news is that you can make chili baked eggs with any kind of leftover chili.

• Ground Beef
• Onions
• Green Bell Pepper
• Garlic
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Ground Cumin
• Ancho Chile Powder
• Diced Tomatoes
• Tomato Paste
• Mushrooms
• Corn
• Black Beans
• Kidney Beans
• Canned Beans in Tomato Sauce
• Eggs
• Chili toppings

This recipe contains ground beef but it’s delicious with ground bison, ground turkey, ground chicken, and even tofu! You can also skip the meat and make vegetarian chili using beans.

Speaking of beans, feel free to use any or all of the beans in the recipe or replace them with common pink beans, black-eyed peas, pinto beans, great northern beans, navy beans, or even chickpeas. Pro tip: Always drain and rinse canned beans well to reduce the amount of gas causing oligosaccharides.

Green bell pepper is the mildest pepper you can use in this recipe. To turn up the heat, feel free to add diced poblano peppers, jalapenos, habanero, serrano, or Ancho chili peppers.

If you live in North America, chili powder is a seasoning mixture that contains chilis, among other spices. Outside of North America, chili powder or chile powder is pure ground chili peppers. Believe me, I learned this the hard way!

How to Make Chili

It’s not Chili and Eggs without the Chili! I like to make this chili a day or two before I serve it to allow the flavours to mingle.

To make the chili, heat a large heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat then add the ground beef. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the beef as it cooks. Cook beef until fully browned and no red pieces remain.

Next, add the diced onions and diced bell pepper and cook until they soften and the onions become translucent. Add the garlic then season beef mixture with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the chili powder, ground cumin, and ancho chili powder (if using).

Cook spices and beef until the mixture becomes aromatic, then stir in the diced tomatoes, mushrooms, and tomato paste.Cover and simmer in the Dutch oven over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes cook time. The mushrooms will release water but you can add a bit of beef stock or water, as needed.

Drain and rinse the black beans and kidney beans well. Add them to the Dutch oven along with corn and baked beans in tomato sauce. Stir gently, then replace the lid and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes.

How to Make Chili and Eggs

Here’s how to prepare the leftover chili with eggs to create a hearty and delicious breakfast or brunch dish. The leftover chili is first reheated, then topped with eggs before baking in the oven.

To begin, preheat oven to 375 F. Place the leftover chili in an ovenproof skillet and reheat it over medium heat until it begins to bubble. You can also reheat it in a saucepan then transfer it to a baking dish for the oven.

Next, use the back of spoon to make 4 small wells in the top of the chili then carefully crack eggs into the wells. Season the egg with salt and pepper then bake chili and eggs in a 375 F oven for 10-15 minutes or until the egg whites turn opaque.

For an individual serving, you can make chili baked eggs in an air fryer! Place the reheated chili in a heat proof ceramic or stainless steel bowl then make a well and crack an egg into it. Season the egg with salt and pepper then cook in a 350 F air fryer for 3-4 minutes, until the eggs are cooked through to your preference.

Remove skillet from oven or air fryer. Sprinkle eggs with red chili flakes and grated cheddar cheese. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately with a side of sour cream and freshly baked cornbread, toast or tortilla chips.

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill and I am the sole recipe developer, photographer, and writer at Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

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