10 Costco Products To Amp Up Homemade Chili

Even though there are countless, ready-to-eat chilis on the market, there are so many reasons to make your own. This comforting dish is easy to construct with affordable ingredients, can be made with lots of different meats or be completely meat-free, and it's easy to customize chili to your own personal tastes. For Costco members, the latter is that much easier because the popular house brand, Kirkland Signature, has so many excellent options to make your chili unique and delicious. We found ten that we think can help you make the best batch ever.

Our product list consists of different meats, seasonings, toppings, and some flavor enhancers that may seem strange, but go surprisingly well with the classic flavors of chili. You can incorporate these into your favorite chili recipe or look up a new one that already includes one or more of these ingredients. While all of our choices are Costco's Kirkland brand, availability can vary depending on locations, so you should always check your local store to ensure they have what you're looking for.

You've probably heard of adding a dark beer to chili, but coffee? Absolutely! Putting a cup or so of strong, brewed coffee will add a rich, nutty depth to your pot of chili, giving it a major flavor boost. This coffee comes in whole bean form, so you'll need a grinder to make it into a brew. When you add it to your chili, the coffee can be hot or cold.

One of the easiest ways to add some heat without any other strong additional flavors (like hot sauce, for example) is a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Add them and your other seasonings to the fat in the early stages of the recipe to let them "bloom" or release maximum flavor before adding your liquids.

If you're short on time but still want maximum flavor, this two-pound package of pre-cooked, grilled chipotle-seasoned chicken is excellent for including in a pot of chili, especially a white chicken chili. The chipotle seasoning adds a hint of smoky heat, and you get a nice charred flavor from the grilled cooking method.

You'll be amazed at what this addition will do to your batch of chili. Just half a teaspoon stirred in towards the end of the cooking process, or right before you serve the dish, makes a noticeable difference in the taste. Apple cider vinegar instantly brightens chili, elevating all of your flavors, without making it taste sour. At Costco, you can get a three-pack of 32-ounce bottles.

Many chili recipes call for ground beef, and this is a great choice for a hearty dish like this, but including chunks of stew meat will give your chili an excellent texture. We like the idea of using a mix of ground and chunks of beef, but you can use one or the other. Give your recipe lots of time to slow cook so these larger pieces of meat have a chance to break down into tender goodness.

We promise we haven't gone nuts. In fact, folks from the Midwest may completely understand this addition, as they're likely familiar with the unconventional pairing of chili with a peanut butter sandwich. Peanut butter not only helps to thicken chili, but its subtle, natural sweetness plays well with the sharp tang of tomatoes. An all-natural peanut butter is best, like this one from Kirkland, which is made with just organic roasted peanuts and sea salt. You get two 28-ounce jars in each pack.

Your chili recipe may already call for tomato paste, but if it doesn't, consider adding a 6-ounce can of this brand that is made with California-grown Roma tomatoes. With much more concentrated flavor than tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, tomato paste imparts a deliciously rich flavor, but also thickens. It's an umami bomb with a hint of sweetness, which enhances the other meats or vegetables you include in your chili. Costco sells packages of 12 6-ounce cans.

Some people like their chili with cornbread, but others prefer the satisfying crunch of tortilla chips. If you fall in the latter camp, you'll love this huge, 40-ounce bag of organic corn chips that are perfect for either crushing over your bowl of chili or using as a scooping vessel. Made with white and yellow corn, sunflower oil, and salt, these are also gluten-free.

We know this sounds like another highly unusual ingredient for chili, but it's actually a staple ingredient in Cincinnati-style chili. Just a tiny bit adds a delicious warmth to the dish and balances out the sharp acidity that tomatoes can bring to the chili table. Kirkland's version is Saigon cinnamon from Vietnam, and you get a large 10.7-ounce container.

Most people know that shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream are classic garnishes on a bowl of chili, but so are a few slices or some chunks of ripe Haas avocado, which Costco typically keeps in stock (depending on location). They are cool, which tames any heat that may be in your recipe, and the creaminess is a nice contrast to other firm ingredients, like meat or the aforementioned tortilla chips.