Chilli'd Out - Friday food... on a Saturday Morning!

Not sure about you but for me this is the time of the year for comfort food, big steaming bowls of it.  Either something that I can make ahead of time or that will cook slowly and that is also what my mum would describe as "cheap and wholesome" and let's be honest, chilli ticks all those boxes.  But best of all is a meal which tastes even better the next day... I was talking to a friend (OK, it was the lovely Miss Weston of the hat and scarf ensemble) about her fave meal of the year and for her it is Christmas leftovers... bubble and squeak, cold turkey, ham etc.  Well I have to tell you now, next day chilli is simply the best, especially when it is made in one pot... and the tastiest!

So let's get started, you will need the following for 2 - 3 people:


1llb (500g ) minced beef
1 small finely chopped onion
1/2 sliced green pepper 
8 - 10 oz (300g) sliced Closed Cup Mushrooms (cos I like em!)
12oz (350g) can of tomatoes
1 tblspn of tomato puree
1 tspn of sugar
12oz (350g) can of kidney beans
1/2 pt of beef stock (yep, an Oxo cube)
1/2 tspn of chilli powder
1/2 tspn of cumin
Salt and Pepper


I like to make this in a pot which can start on the top of the stove and move to the oven, so get a pot with a lid or a frying pan and a casserole dish ready.


Put the mince into your pot over a medium heat and cook until browned, now add in your onion, peppers and mushrooms stirring regularly for about 5 mins (or until the veggies are soft but not browned.  Drain off the excess fat... no matter how expensive, organic or refined your mince is, there will be quite a lot of fat.


Add the tomatoes and drained kidney beans and stir them in.  Now we are going to be quite miserly, crumble the Oxo cube into the tin that contained your tomatoes, add the cumin and chilli powder, use the boliing water to float your tomato paste off the spoon as you pour it into the tin.  Stir the paste up in the tin and add to the pot on your stove.  Bring it up to the boil and stir thoroughly, then pop it into you stove (this shows you that I am really old!) at Gas Mark 4, 180C or 350F for a good hour... longer is better, I usually give mine a couple of hours, stir it occasionally and if you think it is getting too dry add more water.

It will make your house smell of your childhood and coming home from school with a delicious home cookeded meal waiting for you.  Although most people like to serve it with rice, I love it spooned into a bowl and served with a freshly baked baguette which you can dunk into the chilli.  Now if you can wait, it is even tastier left overnight and reheated... Winter bliss!


And to do you food prep, what better to listen to than , Stevie Ray Vaughan and Chitlins con Carne.