Chili Jar Gift for Christmas
A chili jar gift that you can make and gift this season.
The Christmas season for me is all about family, friends, food, tradition, and making special memories. One of my favorite things to do is put together special gifts for those I love. Learn how to create a chili jar gift this holiday season.
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I often find the perfect gift is something that a couple or family can enjoy together, something they may not take time to enjoy on a regular basis. What better way to do that then with food!
Take a look at how you can create a gift that just about anyone on your list will enjoy. A delicious vegetarian chili jar gift!
Here in Wisconsin it's cold, oh so cold, in the winter. I put together a special gift for my in-laws to help warm them up on a cold winter night.
I wanted to give them the gift of a quiet night together. I put together a chili gift basket with everything they need to make a hearty warm winter dinner. They both enjoy cooking so the bit of prep in this gift will go over well, and it is not perishable so it will be at home waiting for them {un spoiled} when they are ready to cook it up.
This chili in a jar gift was pretty easy to put together. I started with a basic vegetarian chili recipe using dry and canned ingredients. The recipe below lays out what is in the jar and how my in-laws can easily cook it up when they are ready.
How to assemble the jar gift
In addition to the jar of chili ingredients I added can of stewed tomatoes, a box of macaroni, and a box of cornbread mix to a cute Christmas container to complete the meal.
To assemble the jar, I started by adding a 16 oz bag of soup beans to a 1 quart glass jar. You can use any type of bean, I chose to use a good variety here.
Next I cut a 12x12 piece of parchment paper and added all my spices to it.
Once everything was on the paper, including the bullion cube, I folded it into an envelope, tied it with a piece of string, and stuck it on top of the beans in the jar.
That's it for the jar! Next I needed to pretty it up and assemble the gift.
I created a label for the jar using printable sticker paper. You can create your own sticker or handwrite a label for the jar.
I added everything to an adorable Christmas cookie container, similar to these. This can double as a cookie canister or decoration once the gift is eaten.
I made a simple card with a few embellishments on the front and directions for the chili on the inside. You can print these directions below.
This is all wrapped up under my tree, I am so excited to share it with my in-laws.
Vegetarian Chili in a Jar
Chili in a jar gift, add all ingredients to a jar and give this as a gift.
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz. bag 16 Bean Soup Mix
- ¾ tsp. black pepper
- ¾ tsp. paprika
- ¾ tsp. dry mustard
- 1 ½ tsp. dehydrated onions
- 1 ½ tsp. sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 1 ½ tsp. oregano
- ¼ tsp. dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 bouillon cube
- 1 quart glass jar
- parchment paper
- twine
Instructions
1. Add beans to the quart jar.
2. Mix all spices on a 12 x 12 piece of parchment paper. Add 2 bay leaves and the bouillon cube and fold the parchment paper into a small packet, secure with twine. Place the spice packet on top of the bean in the jar.
3. Gift this jar with a can of stewed tomatoes and any extras you like with chili. I included macaroni and cornbread mix.
4. Include the following directions with the gift. Click here to print the directions.
Directions: Remove spice packet from the jar and set aside. Rinse beans and place in a large stock pot. Cover by 1” of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for one minute. Remove from heat, cover and let soak for one hour. Drain and rinse beans. Return beans to the pot, add in spice packet, 1-14 ounce can of tomatoes and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer for 1-½–2 hours until beans are very tender and soup is thick. Serve with macaroni and cornbread.
Notes
This recipe teaches you how to gift wrap chili! Give all the ingredients for a delicious cold weather staple that your friends and family can make any time.
Download the chili recipe directions and add it to a card along with the jar full of ingredients.
Try these warm and cozy soup recipes this winter, some you can gift and all of them you can enjoy at home.
If you like this jar gift idea, be sure to pin and share it!
Thanks for visiting!
This post was originally written in 2014, updated with printable directions and added details on 2020.
This is the perfect gift for cold weather friends! I love the label you put on the jar, adds that finishing touch ;)
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season!
Thank you so much Jane, you too!
What an awesome idea! I love finding DIY gifts.
Thanks Danica.
This is so cute!! I love wrapping the spices in parchment paper! Pinning!!
This is such a neat idea for a gift! I totally love it! And i feel like more people would love this than something store bought! :)
LOVE this post!! It was so detailed and organized. One of the hardest parts when I come across recipes online is not knowing what certain ingredients are/look like. I find myself searching the aisles over and over for something I'm not familiar with. Thanks for the helpful pictures. My brother is a vegetarian and I'm sometimes stumped with what to make when we host or have them over for dinner. This is such a great gift idea :) Thanks for sharing!
Mel I am so glad you found this helpful! Thank you for such a sweet comment.
Sarah this is such a cute idea! You just gave me some ideas for my oldest son that lives away for college. I think I'm going to make him a few jars like this along with some other items! Thank you for sharing !!
this is so awesome! I always see the cookies in a jar, or cake in a jar, but never chili! pinned!
I love gifts in a jar! Pinning this one too!
Wonderful Christy, thanks for the Pin!
DIY Gifts are SO much fun! I prefer COFFEE! Pretty much anything coffee really makes me happy. So much so, that I often give coffee-themed items too. I know not everyone drinks coffee, but they should so I gift it anyway. :) This mix looks SO delicious, and would be great for people who are on the go all the time. I love that you feel lucky to have married into the family. It sounds like they are lucky to have YOU.
I am a huge coffee drinker too, I have given my share of DIY coffee baskets in hopes of family sharing with me :) Thanks for your sweet comments.
Ahhhh!!! LOVE THIS IDEA!!! My Hubby would LOVE this. So easy to follow!!! Love it!! Thanks for sharing! Also, great gift for co-workers or teachers! And today it was officially cold in Houston so it would have been perfect..haha.
So glad you like it Connie, thank you so much!
I love your DIY jar, anyone would be thrilled to get (me included)!!!
Love this! Thanks so much - pinning!
I love this idea!!! My in-laws are actually extremely difficult to shop for so I think this is perfect and even if they don't like it then at least it is not terribly expensive. I love the detail in your post and the fact that you can get all of this at one store. It is refreshing to find a blog from someone in my own state so that I actually have the store your reference in my hometown. I am looking forward to any ideas you have for the 2017 Holiday season. Gift ideas for in-laws and easy Christmas brunch food for a get-together are some of the things I am looking for in an attempt to stay sane this holiday season in case you were looking for blogging ideas. Thank you!
Thank you so much for reading Ann! I am glad you liked this idea. I have some easy Christmas gift ideas and holiday prep posts planned for the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned!
where can i find the printable sticker for the vegetarian chili? thanks
I do not have a printable sticker available for this recipe, sorry about that.
Love this idea! So are there two servings in that jar since there are 16 Oz of beans in a quart jar?
2 or more servings, it makes a nice big pot of chili.