Recipe: Leftover Chili Baked Potato Casserole
This comfort food mash-up combines leftover chili with a cheesy baked potato topping for an easy and delicious casserole.
Serves6 to 8
If you thought chili mac was the most comforting thing you ate this winter, this recipe will be right up your alley. And it’s going to make you love that leftover chili hanging out in your fridge or freezer like never before.
Chili takes a turn for serious comfort food when it’s topped with a layer of creamy potato mash, crispy potato skins, and toppings like cheddar, sour cream, and scallions that instantly make both chili and baked potatoes infinitely better.
Ready to make it happen?
Make a Better Casserole with Crispier, Creamier Potatoes
Similar to twice-baked potatoes, the best method for making baked potatoes for this casserole is in the oven. Two rounds of bake time in the oven produces a firm, dry, irresistibly crispy outer skin that you just can’t achieve when using the microwave or slow cooker.
It’s not just the crispy outside that matters — the creamy layer of mash makes this chili reboot something to swoon over. And the trick to making a really good mash is twofold: processing the potatoes while they’re still warm and using a ricer or food mill. Give them a few minutes to cool off after coming out of the oven the first time, then grab a clean dish towel to hold each potato as you cut and scoop the flesh. The warm flesh is easier to work with, and immediately soaks up the butter, while a ricer or food mill is the key to keeping the mash light and fluffy.
Get the recipe: How To Bake a Potato in the Oven
Leftover Chili Baked Potato Casserole
This comfort food mash-up combines leftover chili with a cheesy baked potato topping for an easy and delicious casserole.
Serves 6 to 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 6 large
russet potatoes (2 to 2 1/4 pounds total), baked
- 3 tablespoons
unsalted butter, melted, divided
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups
cooked chili
- 1 1/2 cups
shredded cheddar cheese
For serving:
Sliced scallions
Chopped fresh cilantro
Sour cream
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375°F.
If you baked the potatoes in advance and are starting with chilled potatoes, wrap each potato in a paper towel and heat each one separately the microwave for 45 seconds, or until the potatoes are piping hot and you need to handle them with a kitchen towel.
Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out as much of the potato flesh into a large bowl as you can while keeping the skins intact as much as possible; reserve the skins.
Use a ricer or food mill to process the potato flesh into a large bowl. (Don't use a food processor or you will get gummy potatoes.) Add half of the butter, salt, and pepper. Mix gently, just until incorporated. Do not overwork or your potatoes will become gluey.
Spread the chili in an even layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with the potato flesh and spread in an even layer. Place the reserved potato skins on top of the casserole, skin-side up.
Drizzle the potato skins with the remaining butter and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Top with scallions, cilantro, and sour cream, and serve warm.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The potatoes can be baked up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator once cooled.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.