Best canned Chili is..

Howdy,

Soon I'll be opening a Sno-Cone/Hot Dog stand in Bossier City, La. (NW corner adjacent to Shreveport). I'm looking for the best tasting commercially available Chile out of the can. What are YOUR favorites?
(I really need your suggestions, as Wal-Mart seems ot only carry Hormel and Wolfe brand).

LarryRickenbacker

In my opinion Wolfe brand is pretty good on hot dogs. You could experiment with adding garlic powder, chile powder, etc. to it to make it taste better. Where will your stand be located? I live close by and may be able to give you a little bit of business. Good luck.

It's been a long time, but when I was a kid I always liked Austex. Don't know if it's the same as I remember.

http://www.castleberrys.com/brands_austex.asp

Honestly I make my own version of "canned" chili.. I use mixture of either pork and beans or baked beans for a little sweetness, Ranch Style Beans, and any brand of canned chili.. along with some diced canned tomatoes and green chilies

"It Ain't Chili And It Ain't Beans"


8 (16oz.) cans pork & beans
4 (16 oz.) cans dark red kidney beans
2 large yellow onions
1 stalk celery
2 large bell peppers
4 oz. jalapeno relish
1 1/2 oz. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 oz. black pepper
1 Tbsp. Salt
1 oz. liquid smoke flavoring
2 lb. ground sirloin
2 lb. Hillshire Farms beef sausage
1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese
1 lb. Mozzarella cheese
2 pkg. McCormick chili mix

Open the cans of beans and pour contents into a three gallon pot. Place pot on stove over low heat. Add chili mix, liquid smoke flavoring, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and jalapeno relish. Stir contents thoroughly. Coarse chop/cut all cheeses and add to pot. Coarse chop/cut onions, celery, and bell pepper; set aside.

Precook sausage for 4 minutes on HIGH setting in microwave (optional). Cut sausage into small bite-sized pieces, then fry in skillet until done. Drain all grease and add sausage to pot. Fry ground sirloin; drain all grease and add to pot. Add onions, celery, and bell peppers to pot; stir thoroughly. Cover pot. Increase heat slightly to bring contents almost to a boil, then cook for 15-20 minutes while stirring contents often.

This recipe freezes well. Any leftovers can be placed in plastic containers and frozen for eating later.

Note: Beans tend to get hotter over a period of time.

Adjudicator,

Whoa, thar podnuh! As much as I'd enjoy the satisfaction of serving home-made Chili, it cannot be. I must sell pre-packaged (canned). Yours IS one mouth watering recipe, though :)

Respectfully,
LarryRickenbacker

Someone once suggested Vanee brand to me.. I've never tried it, so cant give you an honest report. Maybe contact a salesman and request a can for a sample. (I beleive Gold Medal may own them now).
http://www.vaneefoods.com/prodlist/390I%20POS.htm

Oh ya, a place I worked at purchased GFS Coney Sauce (or it may have been called Hot Dog Sauce). Stay away from that stuff.. Nothing more than a bean paste..

Glow, Austex still tasts the same as always to me. I use it from time to time on dogs but mostly eat it streight outa tha can w/ some choped onion and jalapenos.

Larry, I like Wolf Brand best on dogs. They also make a hot dog sauce/chili but I have never tried it, hmm... maybe I should? There could be a better canned chili, than regular Wolf for dogs, but I havent found it, although I haven't tried that Vanee.
Joe

um I really dont like canned chilli that much

Austex makes a chili hot dog sauce also. Hmmm, you would just have to try it all I guess. I lean twords the Austex "chili". It has finer bits of meat than Wolf. Most folks in LA are probably used to Wolf and might think Austex is new and diff. Then again folks might say " I like wolf on my dogs ". Hmmmm??? Hard choice Larry. Let us know what you choose. Eather might set you up with the local distributer?

Let us know what you decide. I'll come say high when I get to LA. And have a dog and a sno cone.
Joe

We get Patterson's here in mid Indiana. It is great hot dog sauce. It comes in a small can. We also like Bush's chili.

wolf brand.
not the hot dog sauce though..just sauce, no meat.

We use "Homestyle Brand" chili which my boss gets from US Food..
I have never had a complaint on it, and It is very tasty for bulk hot dog chili in a can.

i'm assuming he's talking about #10 cans.
those jars can be costly.

My husband likes "Stagg" chili that comes out of a box. Well, it's a lot better than my homemade chili--cooking chili is not my forte. Costco also sells one brand of canned chili that is decent--can't remember the name.

I'm into the Armour chili myself. It's really good...especially when you add cayenne pepper to it. Adds an extra kick.

Offlady, the Costcos in CT sell Staggs Steak House Reserve chili in cans--6 cans to a package. It's very good but perhaps too many beans and meaty to put on a dog.

A western TX vote for Wolf brand, regular or (our preference) hot. No beans, of course. I've never found another brand of canned chili that can compete. (Isn't Austex that strangely orange stuff?)

Tx, the orange stuff might be Hormell? Austex is way dif from Wolf but not bad IMHO.
Joe

I might be thinking of Austex's hot dog sauce/chili - which isn't bad, but it IS a tad bit orange.

quote:

Originally posted by Extreme Glow

It's been a long time, but when I was a kid I always liked Austex. Don't know if it's the same as I remember.

http://www.castleberrys.com/brands_austex.asp

Ditto, it's Castleberrys here, and I always have it on hand.

Thanks Rusty, I was worried I might be crazy for liking the stuff. Austex makes a decent tamale also. Sometimes I put some cheese and the chili over them. Not bad for a fast Tex Mex fix!
Joe

I've never had chili out of a can that I enjoyed. I've tried a lot of them, but they all seem to me like something you would get in a school cafeteria or a prison.

Chili Man is the only canned chili that I like. Especially the Hot version.

Looks like you can order Chili Man online but not at stores here in Texas that I can find. I bet it's good.
Joe

Howdy,

I've decided to open my cart with Hormel Chili. I'll use it for my 'dogs and my Nachos-a more popular item here in the "Texas" part of Louisiana. It's avaialable from my local CONCO food supplier as well as Wal-Mart (across the street from my house AND near my cart at Home Depot. Additionally, Sam's Club carries Hormel Chili in large cans.)
My cart arrived today, and I'm hoping we'll open next week! Stay tuned..

LarryRickenbacker

I think Campbell's Chunky is the best canned one.

Try Castlebury's Chili Hot Dog Sauce, it really is great on a hot dog, and makes a great chili dog.. You can find it in local supermarkets up north, not so sure in the south though. Also not sure if you can buy it wholesale. If you cannot buy it in bulk, you may want to think about making your own chili sauce, it would probably be much cheaper than buying a bunch of little cans.

Try Homestyle Chili from US Foodservice...

You might also consider offering Frito pie as well. Topped with plenty of cheese, onion, and jalapeno, it actually makes canned chili taste somewhat good! An old staple of Friday night Texas high school football.