Three delicious options to serve this child-friendly version of the forever crowd-pleaser!

The recipe

It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like a nice bowl of flavoursome Chili con Carne! It also makes for an exciting change from more traditional dishes such as Spaghetti Bolognese and Savoury Mince, due to the addition of an irresistible mix of spices. The main recipe itself is very easy to prepare and suits most dietary requirements - Dairy, Gluten, Egg & Nut Free. To boot, it’s packed with essential nutrients, including the mighty iron - especially with the addition of yummy black beans, which alongside the mince, juicy tomatoes and capsicums, help further boost iron content and absorption. Feel free to replace black beans by any other canned bean variety you may have sitting in the pantry - Borlotti, Kidney or Mixed Beans all work really well here.

As usual, our recipe has been adapted to the Under 5s’ palate and to suit most early childhood settings, so the actual '“Chili” factor has been played down considerably. However, if cooking this at home and your family prefers it spicier, go ahead and add extra fresh or dried chili, or serve it with your favourite bottle of hot sauce on the side ! A good squeeze of lemon or lime juice right at the end of cooking also adds another notch of complexity and yummyness to the dish.

Three ways

Usually accompanied by rice, as seen in our photo number 1, Chili con Carne can equally be served in a variety of other ways. It’s also the perfect dish to quickly transform into something else, if you happen to have small amounts of leftovers. Our option number 2, Chili Burrito, for example, takes literally 5 minutes to put together, and can be served as a quick snack, finger-food type lunch or a nutritious lunchbox filler. Also super easy to assemble, our Chili Nachos (photo 3) use homemade oven-baked tortillas, which are far healthier (and cheaper!) than any packaged version you’d find at the shops. (Tip: Keeping a bag of these wholemeal wraps in the freezer can be really handy when in need of a quick snack, as they take literally minutes to defrost and you can just get one or two at a time - so simple, so tasty, so easy!). Our step-by-step guide after the main recipe will show you how straightforward both versions are to prepare.

These are just some of the variations for this super versatile dish. Think mini pie fillings, stuffed baked kumaras topped with a little sour cream, or encased in crispy quesadillas - which again, are all great alternatives not only for sit-down meals but packed lunches, and will no doubt get the seal of approval from the little ones.

Now, let’s get cooking! :)

Chili con Carne

Recipe by Clean Plate - Serves 10 pre-schoolers

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Olive oil

350 g Beef mince, lean

½ each Red capsicum, small dice

½ each Green capsicum, small dice

1 each Onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 each Garlic clove, crushed

3 tsp Oregano (or 2 Tbsp fresh)

3 tsp Cumin, ground

2 tsp Paprika

½ tsp Mild chili powder (optional)

1 can (400g) Black beans, drained

1 can (400g) Chopped tomatoes

1 cup Water

2 Tbsp Cornflour

Salt, to taste

Fresh coriander, chopped (optional)

Cooked rice, to serve

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large wok or casserole and add the onion and capsicums, cooking for about 5 minutes until vegetables are soften. Add the crushed garlic and spices and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
Now add the mince and cook until it’s browned and starts releasing some of its juices.
Season with a pinch of salt.
Add the chopped tomatoes and ⅔ of the water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the drained black beans and the remaining water. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Dissolve the cornflour in a little cold water and thicken the chili slightly by stirring dissolved cornflour, a little at a time, until reaching the desired consistency.
Check seasoning, add the chopped coriander (if using), and serve.
Dietary Information: Dairy, Gluten, Egg, Soy and Nut Free

Option 2 - Chili Burritos

Steps:

1. We’ve added some frozen corn (defrosted) to leftover Chili con Carne, grated a handful of Edam cheese and used plain Greek Yoghurt in place of sour cream. You’ll also need wholemeal wraps.

2. Spread the yoghurt all the way to the edges of each wholemeal wrap. This will ensure the burritos are nicely sealed.

3. Spoon some of the chili mix and sprinkle a little grated cheese (for grown-ups who like it spicy - chopped jalapenos are a nice addition here!)

4. Fold-in two opposing sides, lightly pressing down.

5. Roll each tortilla tightly to enclose the filling. Top with a little grated cheese and sprinkle of paprika (optional) and place in the oven to heat it through and melt the cheese (approx. 12 mins @ 180 C).

6. Serve on its own or with a side salad. Also great for lunchboxes!

Option 3 - Chili Nachos with Homemade Oven-Tortilla Chip

Steps:

1. Cut each wholemeal tortilla wrap in 12 triangles. Place triangles on an oven tray and lightly spray with olive oil spray or similar. Bake in the oven until starting to colour (approx. 5 mins @ 180 C). Meanwhile, grate a little Edam cheese and mash some avocado with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt for a quick Guacamole.

2.Arrange tortilla crisps in an oven proof dish or tray, top with leftover chili and sprinkle the grated cheese. Place under a hot grill to melt the cheese. (Tip: we like to warm the leftover chili in the microwave first if coming straight from the fridge).

3. Serve nachos with the guacamole (on our version in the photo below, we sprinkled a little chili powder on the guacamole, but it could have been smoked or sweet paprika, some chopped coriander, or just as is).

Dietary Information for Burrito & Nachos versions: Contains Dairy (can replace or omit the cheese and yoghurt); contains Gluten (can use corn or gluten free wraps instead).

And here is a printable version of the main CP Chili con Carne recipe, to print and add to the Beef section of your CP recipe folder.

We’d love to hear your feedback or see any photos you may feel like sharing with us - would be awesome to know which version you tried or the children in your care enjoyed the most!!

Thanks for stopping by :)

Printable Recipe

Chili con Carne 3 Ways!