Easy Cheesy Black Bean Chili and Corn Dog Muffins Lunchbox

Easy, cheesy, and delicious black bean chili served with a simple corn dog muffins recipe makes this a perfect back to school lunchbox option.

I’m going back to work tomorrow and my heart is a little sad. As a teacher, I find myself soaking up every minute I can with my kids over the summer and then I blink, and it’s over. One thing I am looking forward to is getting back into a routine which includes making fun and delicious lunchboxes for my kids.

Because this is my first lunchbox going into the new school year, I knew it had to be something special. So I took my kids’ favorite things: Chili and corn dogs and combined them into one fabulously delicious lunch that my kids loved for their first week of school.

As a busy mom and a teacher, I am always looking for creative and delicious ways to make my kids’ lunchboxes fun and exciting for them. And nothing can beat the classic comfort foods like an infamous corn dog!

One bite of this goodness is a seriously blast from the past for me. My kids love when they serve them for lunch at school, so I decided to make an easily transportable version of these beloved corn dogs in muffin form. And yes! I took that classic little smokie and turned it into a heart!

The other thing my kids go completely crazy for is a good chili recipe. As a family who loves chili, sometimes I get a little over the top with my recipes and I’ve noticed the ones that my kids love are the simplest as they come. So here it is in all its glory: The easiest and cheesiest chili recipe that you’re whole family will love!

Shall we get started?

ingredients

To make this fun and delicious cheesy chili + corn dog muffins lunchbox, you’ll need a few ingredients that you can get at almost any grocery store or even online!

This will make 4 lunchbox containers. I love these 2 compartment food containers that I found on Amazon!

Here’s what we are working with:

for the (heart shaped) corn dog muffins

• buttermilk
• yellow cornmeal
• granulated sugar
• all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• melted butter
• eggs
• cocktail sausages, cut in half to form hearts
• olive oil + honey, optional to brush over

for the cheesy black bean chili

• olive oil
• ground beef
• onion
• black beans
• crushed tomatoes
• garlic powder
• italian seasoning
• smoked paprika
• ground cumin
• chili powder
• apple cider vinegar
• cheddar cheese

how to make an easy cheesy black bean chili and corn dog muffins lunchbox

for the heart shaped corn dog muffins

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray (I used cupcake lines for easier transportability). Set aside.
2. In a bowl whisk together dry ingredients.
3. In another bowl, whisk together wet ingredients
4. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour wet ingredients in the center. Whisk together until well combined.
5. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each of the muffin tins; cut each cocktail sausage in a slanted half, turning the right-side up to form a heart and place it in the center.
6. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Test with a toothpick to make sure the center comes out clean. Remove to a cooling rack.

for the cheesy black bean chili

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the ground beef; cook and stir until slightly browned. Add onion and cook until onion has softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in beans, tomatoes, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, and apple cider vinegar. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until flavors are well blended, about 20-30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Turn off heat and stir in the cheddar cheese until fully combined and melty.
4. Drizzle over melted queso or additional cheddar cheese, if desired.

why prep lunches for school?

To make meal planning more consistent and practical in my house, I aim to include four school lunch preps for my two kids in our weekly meal prep rotation. This helps us save money. Additionally, we can ensure that two days of the week, the kids have well balanced meals. Moreover, these lunchboxes are fun and festive, yet simple enough to put together in less than 15 minutes. 

In these lunch preps I try to include a variety of colors as well as a good balance of the essential food groups so that my kids are getting exposure to different foods in a fun and exciting way!

I love these 2-compartment containers that I found on Amazon to prep my kids’ lunches. I then send the kids to school with this heated thermos so that their lunches stay warm and place any fruits or sides into this snack container set. This lunchbox is my absolute favorite for school lunches! It’s just the right size and comes with everything you need for a great lunch!

We sure hope you enjoy this fun back to school lunchbox meal prep as much as our little tribe has time and time again. Please leave us a star review and comment if you made these delicious lunch!

Did you make this school lunch box? Don’t forget to tag thetastefultribe on instagram @thetastefultribe if you create this fun corn dog muffins and chili lunch. We love seeing your version! You can also post your pictures to our facebook page!