Remember “the chili guy” from “The Office”? The scene in which Kevin Malone, played by Brian Baumgartner, spills a massive vat of chili all over the office floor is iconic and has become a meme known to and used by the masses. (And, if you were wondering, Baumgartner has never used that meme — but he has received “thousands” of messages containing it and has opted to not respond to any of them).
Now, Baumgartner is capitalizing on his chili-spill fame with a cookbook dedicated to the crowd-pleasing stew, out now.
In his “Seriously Good Chili Cookbook: 177 of the Best Recipes in the World Recipes” (Fox Chapel Publishing), Baumgartner shares recipes from winners of chili cook-offs, chefs and restaurant owners in 10 categories based on ingredients, inspiration and more.
While Baumgartner is now leaning into his “chili guy” identity, it wasn’t something he expected to be known for.
“I never thought 10 years ago or whatever, when we were filming this, that I would still be talking about chili or that I would even have ever made chili,” Baumgartner says of the scene which was filmed in one take in April 2009.
Then he tried his hand at making the dish before hosting a football watch party.
“I found some recipe and made it and then you know what they say, like, ‘pic or it didn’t happen?’ I thought, ‘Oh, this is kind of funny,’ “ he says. And when he posted the photo on socials, people went wild, he says.
After that, his interest in chili grew. Baumgartner started making it more regularly.
His favorite thing about chili? That it’s a communal food, he says.
“You don’t make chili by yourself.... well, it’s too much,” he says. “You’re not going to spend the time to do that but with friends, with family... large gathering together — often cooking it with other people or or adding stuff to with other people — I love that aspect of it.”
He started exploring chili more and playing with the original chili recipe he tried. Eventually, he wound up attending the World Championship Chili Cook-Off in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
From there, he got even more into it, inspired by the sense of community chili instills — and partnered with the International Chili Society to create his cookbook.
In addition to the recipes, the book incorporates a bit of narrative from Baumgartner including some references to “The Office” and some chili history, too.
There’s a line in “The Office” chili episode “Casual Friday,” Baumgartner says, that advises not to overcook onions while making chili: “The trick is to undercook the onions,” Kevin says in the episode. “Everybody is going to get to know each other in the pot.”
“I actually think that it’s true,” Baumgartner says. “There are certainly other dishes that I caramelize the onions, that gives them a distinct and specific flavor that I don’t think is good for chili. So just lightly sauté them make them translucent.”
He thinks that may be a key to good chili. Another is making chili while browning the meat — that’s when you should put in your tomato paste.
“I think that that acts as a combining agent and mellows everything out together at the same time,” he explains.
Below is Baumgartner’s recipe featured in the book “Good Chili Cookbook: 177 of the Best Recipes in the World”:
Brian’s Seriously Good Chili Recipe
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Yield: 6-8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or cooking oil)
- 1 large yellow onion (or 1 cup shallots), chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- 2 pounds lean ground turkey (or lean ground beef), undrained
- One 6-ounce can tomato paste
- One 24-ounce can diced tomatoes
- One 16-ounce can tomato sauce
- ½ cup water (optional)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
- 4 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- One 16-ounce can Bush’s Pinto Beans in a Mild Chili Sauce, undrained
- One 16-ounce can Bush’s Kidney Beans in a Mild Chili Sauce, undrained
- Garnish: shredded cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large pot, sauté the chopped onion, green bell pepper, and garlic in oil over medium-high heat. I like to use grapeseed oil because it’s a little less oily.
2. Add in the ground turkey or beef. Before the meat has completely cooked, add the tomato paste. Finish browning the meat completely.
3. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except the beans and the cheese. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes (or longer until the desired consistency is reached), stirring occasionally.
4. Then, 20 minutes before serving, add the beans. You can’t add the beans in right away or they might get mushy.
5. Finish with sharp cheddar cheese. Any leftovers are easy to freeze!
NOTE: Have fun with your garnishes! Sour cream and shredded cheese are classic options, but you can change it up with pickled jalapenos, avocado mash, or crumbled tortilla chips. Just make sure what you choose complements your chili.
