One Dinner. Two Ways. Everyone at the Table.

When the mornings start getting cold here in the mountains, chili goes into heavy rotation at our house. It’s also one of the easiest meals to make Base and Branch style, because good chili is mostly beans, tomatoes, and spices anyway. The meat was always the smallest part of the pot.

So here’s how we do it: one big pot of three-bean chili for everyone, then half of it gets browned beef stirred in at the end. Same flavor, same toppings, same table.

How the split works

• The base: A hearty three-bean chili with peppers, onions, corn, and plenty of spice. It’s a full meal on its own.
• The branch: Ground beef, browned in a separate skillet while the base simmers, then stirred into half the chili.
• The shared part: A toppings bar everyone builds from.

What you’ll need

For the base (serves 6 to 8):

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper and 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne (optional, for heat)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can each black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 cups vegetable broth

For the branch:

• 1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder and a pinch of salt

For the toppings bar: shredded cheddar, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, diced onion or green onions, sliced jalapeños, avocado, tortilla chips, and a pan of cornbread.

How to make it

1. Start the base. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
2. Toast the spices. Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, cayenne, and tomato paste. Stir for about a minute until it smells great and the tomato paste darkens a little.
3. Add everything else. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beans, corn, and broth. Bring to a boil, then turn it down and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring now and then.
4. Brown the branch. While the base simmers, cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it browns. Season with the chili powder and salt, then drain off the fat.
5. Split the pot. Taste the base and adjust the salt. Ladle about half into a second pot or a large saucepan. That’s your vegetarian chili, done.
6. Finish the branch. Stir the browned beef into the chili left in the big pot and simmer for 10 more minutes so the flavors come together.
7. Set out the toppings and let everyone build their own bowl.

Tips from our kitchen

• Use two ladles. One for each pot, so nothing crosses over. It sounds small, but it shows your kid you’re taking their choice seriously.
• Not an even split at your table? Divide the pot however your family eats. If most of you are eating the vegetarian version, keep more of it and add the beef to a smaller portion.
• It’s even better the next day. Both versions keep in the fridge for about 4 days and freeze well for up to 3 months. Label the containers so nobody grabs the wrong one.
• Protein is covered. Three kinds of beans means the vegetarian bowl holds its own. If you’re wondering about that, I wrote about it in “But Where Will They Get Their Protein?”

Want the whole plan?

Everything I learned the hard way is in my book, My Kid Went Vegetarian, Now What? It covers what your kid actually needs to stay healthy, the Base and Branch method for cooking one dinner instead of two, school lunches, grandparents, and 40 family-friendly recipes.

Find it on Amazon

And if you’d like a place to plan your family’s meals, my companion planner, The Flexitarian Kitchen Planner, was built for exactly that.

Find the planner on Amazon