Walt’s Chili and Beans from Carnation Café at Disneyland Park – GEEK EATS

This weekend we are continuing to celebrate Disneyland’s 65th birthday and also the man who’s dreams made Disneyland a reality. One way to celebrate this special weekend, man, and dream is to recreate one of his favorite foods at home. Walt absolutely loved chili and beans. Walt loved how hardy and filling this was and was known to be a regular part of his diet.

Through the years, there have been various iterations of the recipe known as Walt’s Chili and Beans. In fact, the Walt Disney Archives has a recipe from 1958 for the Chili. Through the years, the recipe has been tweaked by Disney chefs for park guests. Two years ago, DAPS MAGIC shared one version of Walt’s Chili and Beans. Today, thanks to the Disney Parks Blog, another version is available for you to enjoy during this weekend celebration of Disneyland’s 65th anniversary. This one is from Carnation Cafe on Main Street, USA! Give it a shot and then share how it turned out in the comments below!

Happy Birthday, Disneyland!

Walt’s Chili and Beans from Carnation Café at Disneyland Park – GEEK EATS

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 3/4 pounds beef stew meat
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 medium green pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons beef base
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• Coarse salt, to taste

Garnish:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 diced tomatoes, for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in large Dutch oven, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add stew meat and sauté for 10 minutes, until meat is browned on all sides. Remove stew meat from pan and set aside.  
2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to pan, heat for 3 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add onions and green pepper. Sauté 8-10 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and sauté one minute longer, until garlic is fragrant. 
4. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring occasionally to break up large chunks of beef, for 10-12 minutes, until beef is no longer pink. Drain excess fat. 
5. Return stew meat to the Dutch oven with ground beef mixture. Add ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, tomato paste, fresh diced plum tomatoes, diced can tomatoes, beef base, and water. 
6. Bring chili to a simmer. Cover and simmer over low heat for 3 hours, until stew meat is tender. 
7. Add pinto beans. Simmer for 10 minutes, until beans are warm. 
8. Season with salt, as needed. 
9. Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and diced tomatoes.

Note: This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version. As a reminder while preparing this recipe, please supervise children who are helping or nearby.

While you are enjoying your chili, enjoy DAPS MAGIC’s livestream celebrating Disneyland’s Birthdays on its Birthday! Also check out what Disneyland’s 35th birthday was like on this month’s 30 Years Ago At Disneyland!

How did Walt’s Chili and Beans turn out for you? Share your thoughts in the comments below or with DAPS MAGIC on Facebook or Twitter!