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BBQ Chili Cheese Biscuit Casserole

written by Ashley Fehr

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5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8 servings

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Published on January 4, 2016 / Last updated on June 6, 2020

A hearty, make ahead and freezer friendly meal with loads of veggies snuck in for those picky eaters! A meal the whole family is sure to love!

close up image of biscuit with cheese on top being scooped out of pan with chili

Forgive me if you’ve heard me say this about half a million times, but I am a bit of a picky eater.

This doesn’t mean that I don’t eat healthy most of the time or that I live off toast and mac and cheese or anything like that. It just means I’ve gotten smarter about where I can put those veggies I don’t really like to eat.

bright blue baking dish with chili and a layer of biscuits on top topped with cheese

Maybe you have a picky eater in your house (maybe one of your children and not you, because you surely eat salads and stuff like a totally responsible adult), and maybe you’re looking for healthy, hearty meals that those picky eaters will enjoy. As I’ve learned to cook Real Food over the last 10 or so years (and yes, I started with Shake ‘n’ Bake and boxed pastas back in my first year at University…), I’ve also learned the best places and flavors to hide those vegetables in.

Barbecue sauce, chili and cheese?

This is one of those places.

a grey bowl with chili and topped with a cheesy biscuit and green onions

I made this recipe twice, and the first time I really loaded the chili up with all kinds of vegetables. The second time, and really only because of the time involved (and the whole cooking-with-a-one-year-old-wrapped-around-my-legs thing) in the peeling/shredding/chopping off the veggies, I cut out a few. I’ll be the first to say you’ll never really notice a difference in flavor, so load this baby up with all that good stuff.

I used kale because I had a huge amount in the fridge, but spinach would be a find substitute. You could also add in mushrooms, corn or other vegetables your family likes (or doesn’t like but you want them to eat!).

overhead image of blue baking dish with chili in the bottom and cheesy biscuits on top

And because I’m all about options, here are a few ways to make this recipe a little quicker if you’re in a time crunch:

  • You can buy refrigerated biscuit dough and plop it on top of the chili instead of making your own, though the biscuit dough in this recipe comes together easily in the 10 minutes you simmer the chili on the stove.
  • If you’re really in a time crunch, you can use canned chili or chili you’ve made ahead and frozen.
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BBQ Chili Cheese Biscuit Casserole

written by Ashley Fehr

5 from 1 vote
A hearty, make ahead and freezer friendly meal with optional hidden veggies! A meal the whole family is sure to love!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Servings 8 servings
Calories 554cal

Ingredients

Chili:

  • 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
  • 1/2 large onion finely diced
  • 1 large carrot peeled and shredded
  • 1/2 bell pepper diced
  • 2 stalks kale chopped (or a few handfuls of spinach)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 19 oz can black or kidney beans, drained and rinsed 540ml
  • 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained 796ml
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Biscuits

  • 2 cups flour all purpose or whole wheat
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder optional
  • 1/2 cup cold butter
  • 1/2-3/4 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • ChiliIn a large oven safe skillet or dutch oven, cook ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until browned. Add in carrot, pepper, kale and chili powder and cook 2-3 minutes until veggies are softened. Add beans, tomatoes, ketchup and barbecue sauce. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes so the flavors can come together. Meanwhile, make your biscuits.
  • BiscuitsIn a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder. Cut butter into ½” cubes and add to the flour mixture, cutting in until crumbly. Stir in milk gradually, stirring in just enough that the dough comes together. Roll out on a floured surface and cut into biscuit rounds if desired (or just leave it as one piece).
  • Place biscuits on top of chili mixture, lay a piece of tin foil over top (don’t tighten around the dish — this is only to prevent splatter in the oven. You don’t want it too steamy or your biscuits will be soggy) and bake for 10 minutes until light golden brown. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve.

Notes

To make ahead, cook chili for the 10 minutes and make biscuit dough. Wrap biscuit dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Cool chili to room temperature and refrigerate. When ready to bake, bake chili, covered, at 450 for 10-15 minutes before adding biscuits to top and baking an additional 10 minute and proceeding with recipe.
To freeze, assemble completely, minus the cheese, and freeze. To bake, thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 2-3 hours. May require additional baking time if still partially frozen when you bake, but it will be fine! Sprinkle on cheese just before it’s finished baking.
**NOTE: Nutrition information is estimated and will vary depending on exact serving size, types and brands of products used.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 554cal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 859mg | Potassium: 1068mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3055IU | Vitamin C: 24.8mg | Calcium: 320mg | Iron: 6.6mg

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Susan says

    Do you cook the chili in dutch oven and then transfer to a shallow casserole for the oven?
    This looks delicious! Definitely going to make.

    Reply

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      Hi Susan! You use either a large oven safe skillet or dutch oven. You’ll see the instructions for it in the recipe card. Enjoy!

      Reply

  2. norma says

    WOW!! Amazing casserole, the combination of the flavour and the vegetables make this dish one the best casserole, my friends enjoy a lot .Good job and thank you for sheering your delicious recipes.

    Reply

  5. Brielle @ Breezy Bakes says

    This looked so good on Instagram that I had to come check it out. Looks even better on the bigger screen. Yum! I love a good old BBQ chili. And topped with biscuits??? Doesn’t get much better.

    I love that you load it with veggies. Get them where you can!

    Reply

  9. Kelly says

    This casserole looks SO flavorful and amazing! My son is definitely starting to become a picky eater so I am loving all the veggies you snuck in here! Yes to the cheese, bbq sauce and chili! It’s the perfect comforting dish!

    Reply

  11. The Duo Dishes says

    It’s definitely the season for this type of food, especially with football on every week. Chili is at the top of the list when it comes to comfort food!

    Reply

  12. Dorothy Dunton says

    Hi Ashley! Had to come back – we had snow (if you looked really close) a couple of weeks ago, but today it was cold for here – 34 degrees! I have a few chili recipes that are my own concoctions that I would be happy to share with you to see what you think. I can e-mail them to you if you are interested. Let me know. 🙂

    Reply

  13. Dorothy Dunton says

    Hi Ashley! Everything in one bowl is my kind of comfort food! In fact, I’m making one of my chili dishes for supper tonight and my timing is good – it snowed here today! 🙂

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Was that your first snow?!? We only got snow about the middle of December which is really late for us, but I’d been waiting for it for so long! Now I’m almost ready for Spring 😉 I wish we were having chili for supper tonight!

      Reply

  16. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says

    I love how you snuck some veggies in here, Ashley! My husband is sort of picky too, so I bet he wouldn’t even notice the kale and carrots in here. And I love any kind of chili, so this biscuit casserole sounds amazing! This looks like the perfect comfort food for the snow that headed my way!

    Reply

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