Who doesn't love a good chili spaghetti recipe? My littlest daughter, who will eat virtually anything, hates chili. She likes every ingredient in chili--and eats similar spices in tacos and burritos--but, HATED my chili. It didn't matter if I spiced it up--or took the spices down a level--chili was just not her thing. Then she discovered chili spaghetti and it was a whole different story. Apparently, anything IS better with pasta and cheese--especially for kids. I have an arsenal of chili recipes--and I never seem to make chili the same way twice. This chili spaghetti recipe is one that the kids will eat every time--and is one that the grown ups can easily spice up a bit.
This post was originally created in 2011! We wanted to update the recipe to show some of the ingredient brands we currently use & some updated kitchen gadgets that we use to make the meal.
1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
1 15.5 ounce can of chili beans (I use Bush's Mild Chili Beans)
1 16 ounce can of refried beans (I use Amy's Low Sodium Refried Beans or La Preferida)
1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (I use Muir Glen or Dei Fratelli)
1 16 ounce jar of salsa (I use a Medium, thick and chunky style salsa)
1 quarter teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoon chili powder
3 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 cup water
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 lb. thin spaghetti, cooked and drained
Grated Parmesan cheese
Jalapeno peppers, diced (optional)
Brown meat and saute onion. In a non-stick, dutch oven, crumble the meat and brown over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add onion and saute until onion is translucent, 3-5 minutes. Drain excess fat from meat/onion mixture.
Add spices. Add the black pepper, garlic powder, chill powder, and cumin to the meat/onion mixture, stirring to coat.
Add Additional Chili Ingredients. Add in the beans, the tomatoes, the salsa, the water, and the sugar--stirring to combine after each addition.
Plate and Serve. Place a serving of cooked, thin spaghetti onto a dinner plate or a soup bowl. (I find our little ones do much better with spaghetti in a bowl than a plate!) Top with ladles of thickened chili and grated Parmesan cheese.

Chilli Spaghetti Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground hamburger (or ground turkey)
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 15.5 ounce can of chili beans (I use Bush's Mild Chili Beans)
- 1 16 ounce can of refried beans (I use Amy's Low Sodium Refried Beans or La Preferida)
- 1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (I use Muir Glen or Dei Fratelli)
- 1 16 ounce jar of salsa (I use a Medium, thick and chunky style salsa)
- 1 quarter teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 3 teaspoons cumin
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp. granulated sugar
- 1 lb. thin spaghetti, cooked and drained
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Shredded mild cheddar cheese
- Jalapeno peppers, diced (optional)
Instructions
- Brown meat and saute onion. In a non-stick, dutch oven, crumble the meat and brown over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add onion and saute until onion is translucent, 3-5 minutes. Drain excess fat from meat/onion mixture.
- Add spices. Add the black pepper, garlic powder, chill powder, and cumin to the meat/onion mixture, stirring to coat.
- Add Additional Chili Ingredients. Add in the beans, the tomatoes, the salsa, the water, and the sugar--stirring to combine after each addition.
- Simmer to Blend Flavors. Bring the chili to a boil, reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer 30-45 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently as the refried beans cause the chili mixture to become thickened and stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Plate and Serve. Place a serving of cooked, thin spaghetti onto a dinner plate or a soup bowl. (I find our little ones do much better with spaghetti in a bowl than a plate!) Top with ladles of thickened chili and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Serve. We like to serve with cornbread or garlic bread and green salad--and we often add jalapeno peppers to the grown up serving bowls when desired.
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