Why it works: Potato and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,023 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Beef Chili 'n Cheddar Topped Potatoes
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the potatoes
Pierce potatoes in several places.
Microwave on High 11 to 13 minutes or until tender, rearranging once.
Let stand 5 minutes.
Make the chili topping
Brown ground beef in large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is not pink, breaking up into 3/4-inch crumbles.
Pour off drippings.
Stir in chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Add beans and 1 cup cheese; cook and stir until heated through.
Assemble and serve
Cut a slit lengthwise in potatoes.
Fluff potatoes with fork.
Season with salt and pepper, as desired.
Spoon beef mixture evenly over potatoes.
Sprinkle with green onions and 1/2 cup cheese.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Bean | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + beanstop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together655 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
-
Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beans + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,242 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + cheddar cheesetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together932 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ground beef
- Provides the savory, meaty base of the chili topping.
- Hot chili beans
- Add moisture, body and bulk to the chili topping.
- Cheddar cheese
- Melts into the hot chili, adding richness and a creamy, savory finish.
- Baking potatoes
- Form the starchy, fluffy base that holds the topping.
- Chili powder
- Adds warm, earthy spice flavour to the beef and beans.
The step that matters
Brown the ground beef until no pink remains. Browning builds savory flavour through the Maillard reaction, and cooking until the meat is no longer pink confirms it is fully cooked. Pouring off excess drippings keeps the topping from becoming greasy.
Swap the beans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, potato, cheddar cheese, pepper, onion):
- Beansthe original
- Sesamefits about as well
- Peanutfits less well
- Black-eyed peafits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, potato, cheddar cheese, pepper, onion. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
Potato Croquettes255 recipes
Roast Beef211 recipes
Beef Loaf175 recipes
Macaroni and Cheese102 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.