Mini Chili Football Bread Bowls (Printable View)
Hollowed dinner rolls become edible footballs filled with spiced beef chili, melted cheese, and piped sour cream details for the perfect game day finger food.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Bread Bowls
01 - 12 small dinner rolls, unsliced
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
→ Chili Filling
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
04 - 9 oz ground beef
05 - 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
07 - 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
08 - 7 oz canned diced tomatoes
09 - 5 oz canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
10 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
11 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
13 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Toppings & Decoration
16 - 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
17 - 2 tablespoons sour cream, for football laces
18 - 1 green onion, thinly sliced, optional garnish
# Cooking Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
02 - Slice a thin layer off the top of each dinner roll. Hollow out the center, leaving a 1/2 inch thick shell. Brush the insides with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes until lightly crisped. Set aside.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes.
04 - Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper to the skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
05 - Stir in diced tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Adjust seasoning if needed.
06 - Fill each bread bowl with warm chili. Sprinkle shredded cheddar on top.
07 - Return filled bread bowls to the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
08 - Remove from oven. Use a piping bag or zip-top bag with a small tip to pipe sour cream laces on each bread bowl to resemble footballs. Garnish with green onions if desired.
09 - Serve immediately while warm.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Everything you love about chili night gets transformed into something you can eat with your hands
- The bread bowls soak up all those spiced juices while staying crisp enough to hold together
- They look impressive but come together faster than you would expect
02 -
- Hollowing out the bread too thin causes structural collapse when you try to fill them
- Letting the chili cool for even 5 minutes before filling makes it easier to handle and prevents burning your fingers
- The sour cream lace pattern starts melting within 10 minutes so pipe right before serving
03 -
- Warm your sour cream slightly in the microwave for 10 seconds it pipes more smoothly and holds its shape better
- If the bread bowls feel too soft after the first bake, pop them back in for another 2 to 3 minutes before filling