Cafeteria Chili
Cafeteria Chili brings back memories of school lunches! It combines classic ingredients like ground beef and beans with a spaghetti twist. It’s an easy lunch or dinner to make with simple ingredients in just 45 minutes!
There’s something undeniably comforting about a bowl of school cafeteria chili. It brings back memories of the yummy lunches our sweet lunch ladies made and were shared amongst our childhood friends.
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This original recipe came straight from the school district food service director from my hometown. That means it’s about as legit as it can be. It combines ground beef, beans, and a blend of spices with a surprising twist—spaghetti!
This chili recipe comes together quickly (45 minutes!) and is a budget-friendly, crowd-pleasing dish! It’s perfect for feeding the whole family or enjoying as leftovers throughout the week. Serve it with a Pimento Grilled Cheese, peanut butter sandwich, or toasted cheese sandwich for the complete school days experience!
Be sure to check out my other popular chili options, Brisket Chili and Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Like This Recipe
- Nostalgic Flavor: This chili is a throwback to the classic school cafeteria dish, bringing familiar and comforting flavors to your table.
- Hearty and Filling: Packed with ground beef, beans, and spaghetti, this chili is a complete meal in a bowl that will keep you satisfied.
- Easy to Make: With simple ingredients and straightforward steps, this homemade chili is perfect for both beginner and experienced cooks.
- Customizable: You can easily adjust the spice level, swap out beans, or add extra veggies to suit your taste.
- Perfect for Leftovers: It tastes even better the next day, making it a great option for meal prep or easy weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scroll down for specific ingredient amounts in the recipe card.
- Lean Ground Beef: The foundation of the chili, it adds hearty texture and rich, savory flavor.
- Onion: Chopped onion adds a subtle sweetness and depth of flavor.
- Chili Beans Kidney Beans: A can that combines chili sauce, kidney beans, and seasonings. It adds protein, fiber, and a mild heat, contributing to its hearty texture.
- Tomato Puree: This thick, smooth tomato base binds all the ingredients together, providing a rich and slightly tangy background flavor.
- Mexene Chili Powder: A key seasoning in this recipe, Mexene chili powder brings warmth and a smoky, mildly spicy flavor that defines the chili.
- Sugar: A small amount of sugar balances the acidity of the tomato puree.
- Spaghetti: The addition of spaghetti is a unique twist that makes it more filling and adds a fun, unexpected texture.
Tools You’ll Need
- Large Stockpot
- Cutting Board
- Chef’s Knife
- Meat Chopper (optional)
- Liquid Measuring Cups
- Can Opener
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Wooden Stirring Spoon
- Ladle
How to Make Cafeteria Chili
- In a large pot or dutch oven on medium-high heat, break apart and cook ground beef and onions until the beef is no longer pink and onions translucent. Drain off excess grease.
- To the pot, add the chili beans kidney beans, tomato purée, 2 cups of water, chili powder, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil.
- Add the broken spaghetti and cook until al dente, stirring periodically. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Add 1-3 cups water to desired texture.
- Ladle and serve. If reheating, add additional water or tomato puree as needed. To create that lunch school memory, complete the lunch tray with a bowl of chili, crackers, grilled cheese or peanut butter and syrup sandwich, carrots and celery sticks, a no-bake cookie or cinnamon roll, and milk.
Pro Tips and Substitutions
- Protein Options: If you prefer a different protein, you can substitute the ground beef with ground turkey, chicken, or a plant-based meat alternative.
- Beans: While chili bean kidney beans are traditional, you can swap them for a different kind of beans like black beans, pinto beans, or even chickpeas.
- Spice Level: If you like your chili with more heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or a chopped jalapeño. For a milder version, reduce the chili powder.
- Seasonings: Add more seasonings to taste. Some popular additions are garlic powder, black pepper, red peppers, cumin, and onion powder.
- Tomato Substitutes: If you don’t have tomato puree, you can use tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes as a substitute.
- Add Veggies: For extra nutrition, consider adding chopped bell peppers, zucchini, or corn to the chili.
- Sugar Options: The amount of granulated sugar can be increased, decreased, or omitted. You can also opt to use dark or light brown sugar instead.
- Spaghetti Alternatives: If you’re not a fan of spaghetti in chili, feel free to leave it out or replace it with elbow macaroni, rice, or serve the chili over baked potatoes.
What to Serve with Chili with Spaghetti
Some excellent side dishes are cheese and crackers, baked potato, rice, spaghetti, Hoe Cakes, a Pone of Cornbread, and Cheesy Cornbread.
Our school always served chili with No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies and a toasted cheese sandwich. You can make these sandwiches while the chili simmers:
- Place 2 sheet pans in an oven preheating to 425°F. Spread a thin layer of butter to the edges of one side of each slice of bread. Once the pans are heated, place half of the bread slices buttered side down on one of the baking sheets.
- Top with American cheese slices, then with another slice of bread, buttered side up. Place the other sheet pan directly on top of the sandwiches so that it’s pressing the sandwich together well. Bake 8-10 minutes, then broil with the top pan off until the bread is toasted.
A Pimento Grilled Cheese Sandwich would also be an excellent chili compliment!
Toppings for Chili
Some excellent garnishes for chili are shredded cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, green onions, red onion, diced jalapeño, tortilla chips, corn chips, and/or a dollop of sour cream.
Storage and Freezing
Fridge: Once the chili has cooled completely, refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4-5 days.
Freezer: Chili can be frozen in an air-tight, freezer-safe container up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. You can also freeze in small batches so that you can pull a portion from the freezer one at a time.
Reheating TIP: The pasta will expand when refrigerated, so upon reheating, add additional water or tomato sauce to your desired chili texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since 1906 Mexene Chili Powder, has a unique blend of seasonings and sun-ripened chilies to prepare champion Texas-style chili. The ingredients on the label read chili pepper, salt, onion, oregano, garlic, and silicone dioxide.
You don’t have to add it, but it does help balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. The presence or desired level of sweetness in chili varies from person-to-person.
Absolutely! The spaghetti is a unique addition that makes this chili more filling, but you can omit it if you prefer a more traditional chili.
Of course! Beans are an optional addition that adds fiber, texture, and fullness. Replace with veggies, more spaghetti, a different bean, or simply omit.
To make a vegetarian version, simply replace the ground beef with a plant-based meat substitute or extra beans, and use vegetable broth instead of beef broth if you choose to add liquid.
Yes, you can use your preferred brand or type of chili powder. However, Mexene chili powder is known for its distinctive flavor, so if you want to replicate the school lunch chili taste, try to use it if possible.
More Cozy Soup Recipes
- Crockpot Ham and Potato Soup
- Easy Lasagna Soup
- Copycat Dolly Parton’s Stampede Soup
- Cheesy Chicken Alfredo Soup
Cafeteria Chili
Ingredients
Chili
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 1/3 cup diced onion
- 27 ounce can chili beans kidney beans
- 26.5 ounce can tomato puree
- 1/2 cup Mexene Chili Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Water amount as desired
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 6 1/2 ounces spaghetti broken into thirds
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven on medium-high heat, break apart and cook ground beef and onions until the beef is no longer pink and onions translucent. Drain off excess grease.
- To the pot, add the chili beans kidney beans, tomato purée, 2 cups of water, chili powder, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil.
- Add the broken spaghetti and cook until al dente, stirring periodically. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Add 1-3 cups water to desired chili texture.
- Ladle and serve. If reheating, add additional water or tomato puree as needed. To create that lunch school memory, complete the lunch tray with a bowl of chili, crackers, grilled cheese or peanut butter and syrup sandwich, carrots and celery sticks, a no-bake cookie or cinnamon roll, and milk.
Video
Notes
Pro Tips and Substitutions
-
- Protein Options: If you prefer a different protein, you can substitute the ground beef with ground turkey, chicken, or a plant-based meat alternative.
-
- Beans: While chili bean kidney beans are traditional, you can swap them for a different kind of beans like black beans, pinto beans, or even chickpeas.
-
- Spice Level: If you like your chili with more heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or a chopped jalapeño. For a milder version, reduce the chili powder.
-
- Seasonings: Add more seasonings to taste. Some popular additions are garlic powder, black pepper, red peppers, cumin, and onion powder.
-
- Tomato Substitutes: If you don’t have tomato puree, you can use tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes as a substitute.
-
- Add Veggies: For extra nutrition, consider adding chopped bell peppers, zucchini, or corn to the chili.
-
- Sugar Options: The amount of granulated sugar can be increased, decreased, or omitted. You can also opt to use dark or light brown sugar instead.
-
- Spaghetti Alternatives: If you’re not a fan of spaghetti in chili, feel free to leave it out or replace it with elbow macaroni, rice, or serve the chili over baked potatoes.
Storage:
Fridge: Once the chili has cooled completely, refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4-5 days. Freezer: Chili can be frozen in an air-tight, freezer-safe container up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. You can also freeze in small batches so that you can pull a portion from the freezer one at a time. Reheating TIP: The pasta will expand when refrigerated, so upon reheating, add additional water or tomato sauce to your desired chili texture.Nutrition
About Laura
Taught by some of the best, cooking and entertaining has always been my favorite hobby. Food is my love language! The conception of Dinner in 321 came from my family talks that sharing our dinners would help others learn new skills, tasty recipes, and make cooking fun! Read more…
This is now my go-to chili recipe. Have made it multiple times now and it’s easy and delicious. Thank you! (Hello from Kentucky.)
Awwww!! That makes my heart so happy to hear!! Thank you SO much!!!🥰 I love that it’s a favorite and that you’re my KY friend!
Is it really supposed to be an entire 1/2 cup of chili powder? Thank you!
Yes, it is 🙂
Hi are you using two full 2oz bottles of Mexene or just one?
Just one 🙂 It’s 1/2 cup in the bottle.
love so many of your recipes. cooking chili now
Aww!! That just made my heart so happy! Thank you so much! I’m excited that you made it!