This veggie packed chiili con carne post is sponsored by RACO. Their family friendly cookware range has something for every type of cook.
Family meals. They can be so hit and miss and right now with everything that's going on, a good hit of comfort food is just what we all need. And what better winter warmer is there than a delicious, saucy veggie packed chilli con carne? And not only that, but it makes enough so that you have options for the next day- my favourite kind of meal!
How many veggies?
Well, there is an onion, 1 zucchini, 1 carrot, 1 capsicum, a whole tin of black beans, a tin of crushed tomatoes, a whole bottle of passata and a cup of frozen corn! Seeing something in the list your kids don't love? That's ok, but the end of the cooking they will barely even notice it.
If the kids are real veggo-phobes, then you could grate the zucchini and carrot. Also, giving the whole thing a blitz at the end isn't a bad idea- that will hide those terrible beans that threaten to cause your kids to keel over. (This might be what my son has previously said about beans- although he's much more accepting of them now!)
What do I cook it in?
For an easy to clean up family meal, you can't go past RACO SmartRelease. The deep frypan (this one is the deep 30cm skillet ) has a lid and is perfect for meals like this best ever veggie packed chilli con carne. Sure, you can make it in a deeper pot, but I find deep frypans absolutely perfect for meals like this because the added surface area means the moisture can evaporate more simply.
With a recipe like this one with some lid on cooking it's essential that your lid fits the pot well for the cooking time, and then as soon as you take it off , you can finish off the dish by evaporating some of the sauce to thicken it. Those bits around the edges where the sauce has reduced are my favourite- wipe a piece of bread around the pan to gobble them all for yourself.
If you haven't already, I really recommend checking out RACO for all your pots and pans- it takes a lot for me to recommend pans- I have had RACO in my kitchen for many years- which is why I am so happy to work with them. Use the code KIDGREDIENTS to get 20% off storewide at RACO. The best part about this recipe is the easy cleanup- only using one pot means you pop it in the dishwasher at the end- and you're done!
This pan doesn't work on induction, but if you have an induction cooktop, they have a lot of pots that are perfect for you!
What do you eat this with?
It's up to you! Because there are so many veggies in it already, you can get away with some corn chips, sour cream and avocado. Or you can serve it with rice and veggies. It also tastes amazing stirred through pasta or you can lighten it up with zoodles.
What about lunch the next day?
This veggie packed chilli con carne is so versatile. And I have to be honest the flavours improve with time, so after you've had dinner, pop the leftovers in the fridge to eat the next day!
I've made baked chilli puff pastries in RACO Aerolift Jumbo muffin tins for lunch for us with the leftover veggie packed chilli con carne in the video! It's a fun way to enjoy the leftovers.
You don't have to worry about getting the pastry stuck in the pans when you use the Aerolift bakeware range by RACO. I literally have tried to stick so many different recipes to their Aerolift bakeware products and have not had anything stuck yet!
There wasn't as much leftover chilli as I had hoped for- so I only made 4- but that's testament to how yummy and family friendly this veggie packed chilli con carne really is!
Veggie packed chilli con carne
Ingredients
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 yellow capsicum diced
- 500 grams beef mince
- 3 tsps paprika
- 2 tsps garlic powder
- 4 tsps cumin powder
- 3 tsps oregano
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes adjust to your family tastes!
- 2 tsps beefstock powder
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 zucchini diced
- 400 grams crushed tomatoes
- 700 grams passata
- 1 420 grams tin of black beans drained and rinsed
- 1.5 cups water
- 1 cup of frozen corn
- Coriander for serving
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a deep lidded frypan over medium heat (I love this pan from RACO SmartRelease).
- Fry the onion and garlic until they start to soften.
- Add the capsicum and fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the beef mince and brown quickly.
- Add all the herbs and spices and mix through well to coat the beef and veggies.
- Add the beef stock powder (this helps to add flavour).
- Add the zucchini and carrot and mix through.
- Add the tomato passata and the crushed tomatoes and stir well to combine.
- Add the water and the black beans.
- Put a lid on the pan and cook for 1 hour.
- Remove the lid and stir through the frozen corn.
- Cook for 10 minutes more so the sauce can thicken and become super thick and glossy.
Notes
- Make the leftovers into delicious puff pastry tarts!
- Chop one piece of store bought puff pastry into 4 squares.
- Line your jumbo muffin pan with the squares (you have to use a completely nonstick muffin pan for this so I recommend the Aerolift Range by RACO.
- Top with a teaspoon of sour cream and a handful of grated cheese.
- Bake at 200 degrees celsius for 20 minutes.
Sophie says
Loved it! Simple, full of veggies, and can mix up how it is served. Perfect weeknight dinner
Elle says
I am someone who tends to rarely make a recipe twice. . but I am so impressed with your veggie packed dinner dishes that still have meat in them. I have made several recipes from your website! Getting my husband to eat vegetables is so much easier with recipes like this. Plus, they are such comfort foods too! I also have to say, I have also noticed your recipes leave less arduous clean up for me! Thank you SO much! Keep up the great work. 🙂
Aisling says
At what temperature do you cook it on?! Something I always get wrong like summer?
Kylie says
Medium- on my stove it's around a 6-7.
Nart at Cooking with Nart says
This chili looks delicious. It's probably the first kid-friendly chili recipe I've come across, which is great. That means my nephews and niece can enjoy it with me!
Kylie says
I know! There aren't many out there, and all the sneaky veg is what makes it perfect for kids!
Pris says
These look amazing!!! I love the idea of making them in the muffin tin. Thanks for the recipe!!
Jen says
The toppings area for this dish was a huge hit! My kids were able to load up and customize their own bowl. Such a delicious dinner.
Kylie says
Thanks Jen, the kids love it!
Julia says
This sounds so good and I love the idea of adding shredded zucchini to the mixture!
Kylie says
It makes it even more veggie filled- and that's a bonus!
Shelley says
Oh my goodness - yes! Comfort food is EXACTLY what we all need right now (but also HEALTHY comfort food), so this is totally perfect! Great tips on grating the zucchini and carrot or even giving it a quick blitz (because we sure wouldn't want your son's predictions of kids to "keeling over" to come true hahaha)! 😉
Kylie says
Exactly! No-one wants to keel over from eating good food. 🤣
Maddy says
Hi Kylie! This is a classic dinner in my house too! We call it "Tacos without tacos" since I serve it with tortilla strips instead of the taco shells 🙂
I serve my chilli con carne with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream since I always have it in the fridge and it is a bit lighter. I also serve with it red capsicum, carrot and /or cucumber sticks and crispy lettuce leaves.
I love watching your work, you do such a great job!