Toddler Chili Gets An Upgrade (Roll and a Bowl)
If you know "roll and a bowl"—and you may need to be from particular "flyover states" to do so—then you know: a cinnamon roll and chili bowl is an epic lunch. Skepticism here is understandable, even warranted—but if you appreciate the odd-but-compelling way ranch dressing enhances bad pizza, then you’ll find something weirdly compelling and comforting about a sweet bun being dipped into, well, a bowl of wet meat. Besides, we’re serving this to small children: soup and a pastry not only makes sense to them; it’s precisely what they want to eat.
Now, because we’re feeding this to small children, adjustments have been made. First and foremost, there’s a whole can of pumpkin here–half in the roll, half in the bowl–to provide some natural sweetness (in lieu of more sugar) and more nutrients; Greek yogurt is used in the roll dough to add protein and save you from having to use yeast and/or a stand mixer to get the rolls together. It’s true: this isn’t a “real” cinnamon roll. But your kid is about to have something with icing on it for lunch or dinner–do you think they’ll really care?
- 1.75 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 can Pumpkin Puree
- 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (any full-fat yogurt will do)
- 2 tbsp Butter (coconut oil also works here)
- Cinnamon Powder
- Sugar
- Cream Cheese
- Maple Syrup (honey or agave can work, too)
- Milk (optional; as needed)
- 1 Onion
- 1/2 lb Ground Beef (for a chunkier, meatier chili add a whole pound)
- 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Paprika
- Cumin
- 1 can Diced Tomatoes (and juice)
- 1 can Chili Beans (or kidney beans)
- 2 cups Chicken Broth (low-sodium recommended)
- 1/2 can Pumpkin Puree
- 2 squares Chocolate (optional; dark or baking chocolate)
- In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and two pinches of salt. Add pumpkin and yogurt to the bowl.
- Using your hands or a big spoon, blend ingredients until a dough begins to form; bunch dough into a ball and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. (Note: if dough is still wet and sticky after mixing, add more flour; if crumbly and dry, add more yogurt.)
If using an oven, set it to 350 and cover a flat pan with parchment paper.
- To make the cinnamon glaze that’ll go inside the roll, melt the butter; then add enough cinnamon powder and sugar to thicken the butter into a syrup or paste.
- Lightly dust a flat surface with flour. With your hands and a rolling pin, flatten the dough ball and spread out across your surface so that it forms a thin rectangle (or closest thing to it).
- Cutting north-to-south, cut out thin and long (say, roughly 1/2” apart) strips of dough. Brush the top surface of the dough with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- From one end, roll up the dough into a pinwheel/spiral, brushing the bottom surface with the cinnamon-sugar mixture as you roll it onto itself. Be sure and brush the edge of the spiral with a bit of the mixture so it can stick to the roll.
Place rolls upright onto parchment paper. Cook for 25-30 minutes in an oven, or 8-10 minutes in an Air Fryer set to 350 (and the 'Bake' option, if your air fryer has one).
- While the rolls cook, make the icing: put a hunk of cream cheese in a small bowl, then drizzle with maple syrup; blend until smooth. If too thick or not pliable, add a splash of milk to thin.
- When dough is fully cooked on the inside, remove rolls from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before icing.
- Dice onion into small pieces. Rinse and dry your beans.
- In a pot, heat a tablespoon of oil to Medium; once hot, saute the onions until translucent, roughly 3-4 minutes. Add beef and cook until browned, roughly 2-3 minutes; chop meat into small bits as it cooks.
- Add in tomato paste, a generous amount each of onion and garlic powder, and as much paprika and cumin as you and/or your child are comfortable with; mix with beef and onions and allow to cook for 30-45 seconds.
- Add in the tomatoes and their juice, broth, beans, pumpkin puree, and chocolate if using; raise heat to Medium High to bring to a boil, then lower until contents of the pot bubble but gently.
- Simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Bowl and roll is typically served on two plates, one for the chili and one for the bowl; rest assured, mixing is optional (but kind of fun and gross?). We typically set out an array of condiments for topping—including avocado, lime, shredded cheese, crackers, cilantro—so everyone can customize his/her own bowl of chili, but feel free to pre-plate as you see fit. If your child isn’t ready for a multi-ingredient stew, try spreading a bit of avocado on a cracker and topping it with chili; if he/she is more of a soup person, you can thin the mixture with a bit of chicken broth before serving.
Ground chicken or turkey can be used instead of ground beef–just pull the poultry from the pot after browning and do not return until after you finish simmering the chili. For the baby mouths out there, feel free to go easy on the seasonings; you can always add a bit of chili spice or oil to your own bowl after serving.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
