As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Even the pickiest eaters will ask for seconds of this chili con carne with vegetables! A mixture of pureed veggies is cooked into the meat, so your kids will never even know that they’re consuming spinach, peppers, and celery in every bite! It’s a great way to feed your whole family more nutritious meals with minimal effort!
Kids’ Chili Con Carne Recipe
In our house, chili tends to be a popular meal with both the kids and adults. The savory sauce tastes great with the tender pieces of meat and beans. As a bonus, any bowl of chili can easily be made even more delicious with some sour cream, shredded cheese and tortilla chips…especially this chili con carne with vegetables!
It’s such a fantastic way to add a lot of veggies into your kids’ meals! Trust me – you cannot tell that there are seven different types of veggies in this chili. It looks and tastes just like normal!
Why this Chili is Dietitian-Approved
- Low in sodium: Young kids have very low sodium needs and most storebought soups and prepared foods have way too much. This kid friendly chili con carne is a much better choice, since you can adapt the sodium and seasonings to keep it baby and toddler-friendly.
- Loaded with extra veggies: Chili con carne is all about the meat, but this version starts by blending a bunch of veggies together into a puree and then cooking them into the meat mixture. Even more fussy eaters won’t be able to tell the veggies are there!
- Fantastic for meal prep: This chili with hidden vegetables makes a generous amount and tastes amazing as leftovers. You can even make a double batch and freeze to have a simple meal ready to go in the future (every busy mom’s dream come true)!
Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef: I recommend using extra lean ground beef to reduce the fat content.
- Vegetables: This meat and veggie chili is loaded with veggies including celery, onion, carrots, bell peppers, baby spinach, and garlic.
- Beef broth: Use reduced sodium beef broth. If using stock cubes, make sure they are low in sodium as they are notoriously high in salt.
- Tomato paste: This adds a concentrated tomato flavor that brings the whole dish together.
- Canned beans: Use low-sodium kidney and black beans for two different colors and textures.
- Tomato sauce: Regular canned tomato sauce will give this veggie chili recipe a bold red color and strong tomato flavor. Tomato puree or crushed tomatoes can work, too, but the mixture will be thicker.
- Worcestershire sauce: For a punch of umami flavor.
- Corn kernels: This adds extra texture and color to the chili. Frozen, canned or fresh corn kernels can be used.
- Barbecue sauce: The sweetness and smoky flavors helps make the chili extra flavorful. Try to find a BBQ sauce with less added sugar or one that’s naturally sweetened.
- Seasonings: You’ll need plenty of spices to add lots of flavor, like chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- If you plan to cook the chili on the stovetop, use a pot large enough to fit all the ingredients. If you’ll be cooking it in the slow cooker, you can simply use a large skillet to cook the ground beef.
- Cook the ground beef until cooked through and no longer pink, about 4-5 minutes. Drain the fat.
- To a blender, add the celery, onion, carrots, red pepper, spinach, garlic, and half a cup of the beef broth. Puree until smooth.
- Add the green sauce to the cooked meat in the skillet and cook on medium-high, stirring frequently, until the beef has mostly absorbed the green sauce, about 15-20 minutes.
If using a slow cooker:
- Transfer the meat to your slow cooker, add the remaining ingredients, and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. If you cook on high, make sure to stir frequently to avoid the chili from burning on the bottom and edges. I prefer to cook it low and slow so that the flavors have more time to meld together.
If cooking on the stovetop:
- After cooking the ground beef and green sauce, add the remaining ingredients. Simmer the chili on low for 2-3 hours on the stovetop. Stir every once in a while to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
RECIPE TIPS
- If your chili powder is on the spicy side, start with 1 tablespoon, taste and add another tablespoon if desired.
- Look for a low sugar bbq sauce or use homemade. I used one naturally sweetened with dates.
- It may look a little weird to have “green meat” in the skillet, but once it’s in the chili, it’s not green at all! Just be sure to cook the meat until it’s absorbed most of the green sauce.
- If you’re having a hard time getting the veggies to puree smoothly, add a little more broth.
Recipe FAQs
Nope! If you’re worried about picky eaters being put off by the veggie puree, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The veggies end up adding a nice background flavor similar to a good veggie stock. They actually make the chili taste better! You can’t see any green color in the chili and the puree is so fine they certainly won’t see any small pieces. Plus, the different sauces really mask any earthiness from the spinach, too.
Chili con carne is all about the meat, but you can make a veggie version of chile con frijoles (chili with beans) instead. In this situation, I’d recommend using plant-based meat alternatives like vegan mince, or you can sautee down the veggie puree and add extra beans! Make sure you use vegetable stock, as well.
I like to use a mixture of dark red kidney beans and black beans for color, but you can use any kind of beans you like. Pinto beans are another great option, and garbanzo beans can be really nice, too.
Storage Guidelines
- Store any leftover chili in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or freeze the extra for up to 3 months. To reheat, it’s best to warm the soup in a pot on the stove or you can microwave it 2-3 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
This chili is loaded with fiber and protein, making it a great main dish for any meal. Of course, chili always tastes amazing with a variety of sides and toppings, so you may want to prepare these on the side:
- Mini cornbread muffins
- Homemade crackers
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Diced avocado or guacamole
- Fresh cilantro
- Diced tomatoes
- Diced red onion (more so for grownups)
- Tortilla chips
- Brown rice (so filling!)
- Lime wedges
- Extra veggies
Even though there are lots of “hidden veggies” in this chili, I still recommend serving some additional veggies on the side to get kids used to eating vegetables in their whole form too. A side salad, raw or roasted veggies all work great!
Recipe Variations
- Add sweet potato: Diced sweet potatoes simmered in the chili will add an extra layer of color and sweetness. Plus, they offer extra fiber to fill up those tummies!
- Give it some heat: For the grown-ups, you can add some cayenne pepper or hot sauce for a kick of heat.
- Add some sweetness: The barbecue sauce usually adds just enough sweetness to mellow out the whole recipe, but feel free to add a splash of maple syrup, brown sugar, or coconut sugar if needed.
Like it? Save this recipe for later!
More Tasty Meals
- Beef Pasta Hamburger Helper
- Disneyland Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
- Turkey Burger Sliders
- Mexican Fiestada Pizza Recipe
- Turkey Veggie Meatballs
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Kids’ Chili Con Carne with Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 pounds extra lean ground beef
- 2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 1 cup shredded or grated carrots (about 1 large carrot)
- 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups reduced sodium beef broth (1/2 cup with the veggies in blender, 1 cup in chili)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder* (start with 1 tablespoon to test for spiciness)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 24-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup low sugar barbecue sauce
- 1 15-ounce can low sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can low sodium black beans
- 1 cup corn kernels
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- If you plan to cook the chili on the stovetop, use a pot large enough to fit all the ingredients. If you'll be cooking it in the slow cooker, you can simply use a large skillet to cook the ground beef.
- Cook the ground beef until cooked through and no longer pink, about 4-5 minutes. Drain the fat.
- To a blender, add the celery, onion, carrots, red pepper, spinach, garlic, and half a cup of the beef broth. Puree until smooth.
- Add the green sauce to the cooked meat in the skillet and cook on medium-high, stirring frequently, until the beef has mostly absorbed the green sauce, about 15-20 minutes.
If using a slow cooker:
- Transfer the meat to your slow cooker, add the remaining ingredients, and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. If you cook on high, make sure to stir frequently to avoid the chili from burning on the bottom and edges. I prefer to cook it low and slow so that the flavors have more time to meld together.
If cooking on the stovetop:
- After cooking the ground beef and green sauce, add the remaining ingredients. Simmer the chili on low for 2-3 hours on the stovetop. Stir every once in a while to make sure it's not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Notes
- *If your chili powder is on the spicy side, start with 1 tablespoon, taste and add another tablespoon if desired.
- Look for a low sugar bbq sauce or use homemade. I used one naturally sweetened with dates.
- If you’re having a hard time getting the veggies to puree smoothly, add a little more broth.
