• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Kidgredients logo

  • recipes
  • shop
  • about
  • collaborate
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • recipes
  • shop
  • about
  • collaborate
  • subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    home » Recipes » Dinner

    The best ever veggie packed chilli con carne- kid friendly!

    Published: Aug 12, 2020. Modified: Oct 21, 2020By:Kylie·This post may contain affiliate links·

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    This veggie packed chiili con carne post is sponsored by RACO. Their family friendly cookware range has something for every type of cook.

    best ever veggie packed chilli con carne- ready to go- sprinkled with coriander
    Coriander gives it a freshness burst at the end.

    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!

    Can you see all the veggies in this best ever veggie packed chilli con carne?
    Look at all the veggies!

    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.

    best ever veggie packed chilli con carne, with garden fresh coriander
    It's a veg-fest!

    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!)

    chilli con carne with avocado cut nest to it
    get your sides ready and get ready to plate it up!

    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.

    chilli con carne in a saucepan
    The right pan makes such a difference.

    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.

    chilli con carne close up with the spoon in the pot
    Wipe a piece of bread around the edges of the pan when it has finished reducing to tidy it up- those bits are the best and are your reward for cooking!

    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!

    raco saucepan with lid

    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.

    A bowl of chilli con carne with avocado, corn chips, sour cream and cheese
    You can keep it simple with corn chips, avocado, sour cream and cheese- after all it contains so many veggies already!

    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!

    pastrys made in a muffin pan on a wire rack

    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.

    pastry cut open to show the chilli centre

    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!

    chilli con carne pastry
    look at how well they come out of the pan- and even that cheese will wipe off!


    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

    This veggie packed chilli con carne is a weeknight winner- and it helps make an awesome lunch the next day! A one pot wonder the whole family will love.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: dinner
    Cuisine: Modern Australian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 441kcal
    Author: Kylie
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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

    Sprinkle with coriander before serving for freshness.
    Serve with corn chips, sour cream, grated cheese and avocado! Also delish with rice.
    The next day:
    • 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.
    Freezing: this freezes really well, freeze it in portion sized containers in the fridge.

    Recipe video

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 441kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 218mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g
    Tried this Recipe? Share it Today!Mention @Kidgredients or tag #kidgredients!
    « Spinach and cheese pides
    No Bake Apricot Coconut Slice »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sophie says

      July 13, 2022 at 5:13 am

      Loved it! Simple, full of veggies, and can mix up how it is served. Perfect weeknight dinner

      Reply
    2. Elle says

      July 04, 2022 at 7:56 pm

      5 stars
      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. 🙂

      Reply
    3. Aisling says

      November 28, 2020 at 12:46 pm

      At what temperature do you cook it on?! Something I always get wrong like summer?

      Reply
      • Kylie says

        November 28, 2020 at 7:17 pm

        Medium- on my stove it's around a 6-7.

        Reply
    4. Nart at Cooking with Nart says

      October 11, 2020 at 1:54 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Kylie says

        October 11, 2020 at 8:36 am

        I know! There aren't many out there, and all the sneaky veg is what makes it perfect for kids!

        Reply
    5. Pris says

      October 11, 2020 at 12:28 am

      These look amazing!!! I love the idea of making them in the muffin tin. Thanks for the recipe!!

      Reply
    6. Jen says

      October 11, 2020 at 12:12 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Kylie says

        October 11, 2020 at 12:17 am

        Thanks Jen, the kids love it!

        Reply
    7. Julia says

      October 10, 2020 at 11:42 pm

      This sounds so good and I love the idea of adding shredded zucchini to the mixture!

      Reply
      • Kylie says

        October 11, 2020 at 12:16 am

        It makes it even more veggie filled- and that's a bonus!

        Reply
    8. Shelley says

      October 10, 2020 at 11:07 pm

      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)! 😉

      Reply
      • Kylie says

        October 11, 2020 at 12:16 am

        Exactly! No-one wants to keel over from eating good food. 🤣

        Reply
    9. Maddy says

      August 17, 2020 at 11:13 am

      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!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Kylie! What you see on this blog we eat. No smoke and mirrors, just yummy food your whole family will love.
    Read more about me!

    Easy Weeknight Dinners

    • Chicken Taco Rice
    • Curried sausages, the best way to make them
    • The best ever veggie packed chilli con carne- kid friendly!
    • Mango Chicken Curry

    Popular recipes

    • Beef, Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne
    • Rainbow veggie slice
    • Super simple 3 ingredient scones
    • Super easy 3 ingredient flatbreads, no rising!

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    Policies

    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookies Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Intellectual Property

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • About me
    • Contact
    • Services
    • FAQ

    featured in, kidspot, bounty parents, daily mail, mouths of mums, mumtastic, foodgawker, families magazine, haven, the organised housewife, she does this

    Copyright © 2021 Kidgredients

    100 shares
    • 40