Chili Bean Star Supreme. This fun childhood favorite makes a quick-and-easy weeknight dinner. A fun meal for kids and grown-ups! (Gluten free, dairy free options)
There is something special about eating at Gramma’s house. I have two wonderful grandmas who always made visits to their house amazing. My mom’s mom made homemade bread, grew raspberries, and made her own raspberry jam. There’s just nothing like homemade bread and jam with a side of fresh berries.
My dad’s mom used to make us Mickey Mouse pancakes, and have treats like pizza (which we rarely ordered at home), or fried chicken picnics in the backyard. This particular Gramma is also famous for finding and trying new recipes.
One of my favorite quick, no-fuss, grandkid-pleasing lunches was her four-ingredient Chili Bean Star Supremes.
WHAT THE HECK IS A CHILI BEAN STAR SUPREME?
Chili Bean Star Supremes are a fun twist on bean and cheese burritos with a kind of crunch-wrap vibe. With the crispy exterior and melty, flavorful interior, they’re a step up from a basic bean burrito or quesadilla, and the shape makes them extra fun. Plus, they’re done in about 15-20 minutes, tops!
(The name came from my grandma who wanted to make them fun for grandkids. Same with the shape.)
TIPS & TRICKS FOR CHILI BEAN STAR SUPREMES:
DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE SHAPE! Chili bean star supremes are cute and they’re really not super hard to fold. Just roughly go for a pentagon/star shape and it’s ok if they don’t all look exactly the same. If that does feel too intimidating, feel free to fold them in a square shape. (You just don’t want them super open in the back)
MAKE IT EASIER TO FOLD WITH THIS TRICK. Warm the tortillas for a few seconds! Just pop them in the microwave or a warm pan on the stove to loosen them up a bit.
COOK THEM SEAM-SIDE DOWN. Putting the folded/seam side down first will help seal them closed. (If you’re putting them in a panini press, I still recommend seam side down)
FREEZE THE LEFTOVERS. I will sometimes cook up a batch then freeze them in a zip-top bag for a quick meal later. You can par-freeze them first on a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat for 20 minutes to help them not stick together, or put parchment between each layer in the zip-top bag so they don’t all stick together. To use frozen ones, I usually pull them out the night before I want them then bake them at 375 for 20-30 minutes or until they’re warmed through and have crisped up.
MAKE THEM SPICY OR MAKE THEM MILD. You can control the spiciness based on how spicy your chili and beans are. I often combine a chili (with a bit of kick) with some more neutral refried beans so my kids will eat them, but you can easily turn up the heat with spicier chili or spicier refried beans.
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE CHILI RECIPES TO TRY INSIDE:
My grandma usually used canned chili for her chili bean star supremes, but I often use leftover homemade chili when I have it. A few of our favorites for this recipe are:
- Simple Slow Cooker Chili
- The BEST EVER Pumpkin Chili
- Vegan Chipotle Black Bean Chili
- The Perfect Classic Chili (no beans)
In general, a thicker chili works better than a watery chili for this recipe, since you don’t want it dripping or falling out of the tortillas.
GLUTEN & DAIRY FREE NOTES:
OUR FAVORITE GLUTEN FREE TORTILLAS for these are Mission brand. They’re the most flexible and rarely rip when folded.
IF YOU’RE DAIRY FREE, you can skip the cheese or use a non-dairy cheese option. Our favorite is Daiya brand dairy-free cutting board cheddar cheese shreds or pepper jack cheese shreds.
More Recipes with Chili to Love:
- Chili & Cornbread Pot Pie (Tamale Pie)
- Chili Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Boats
- 6 Amazing Ways to Stuff a Baked Sweet Potato
Chili Bean Star Supreme
- Yield: 8-10 1x
Description
A fun childhood favorite from my grandma! These freeze and reheat well, too, so feel free to make a double batch!
Ingredients
- 1 (14oz) can chili, or about 2 cups homemade chili
- 1 (14oz) can refried beans, or about 2 cups homemade
- grated cheddar (or other) cheese
- flour tortillas (gluten free, as needed)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine chili and refried beans.
- Heat and stir until well mixed. Turn off heat.
- Scoop about 1/3c bean mixure onto the center of the tortilla.
- Sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Fold tortilla into a pentagon shape (or square, if that’s easier!).
- Heat a pan (or panini press or grill pan) over medium heat.
- Place each star fold side down on a pan (or panini press or grill pan) and cook until golden on both sides.
- Feel free to serve with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, etc.
these look so simply delicious, but i might need a folding tutorial.
sound super yummy and easy! Thanks for sharing 🙂
What a lovely little snack! I think I might go a little crazy with some dips 🙂
The shape looks so fun! I’ll have to try this, but I think It would be really fun to fill it with other stuff like shredded chicken and have little star burritos!
Thanks for the idea!