In response to a request. (as if I need an excuse to post a recipe!) [:D]
Max's Chilli Recipe
Easily feeds 10 greedy people or 12-14 normal people
1kg minced beef (cheaper, fattier mince works very well)
1 pack smoked streaky bacon diced (Asda smartprice)
1 large green pepper chopped
2 brown onions chopped
4 fat garlic cloves pressed or chopped
2 cans chopped tomatoes
1 small tin tomato paste or a good squirt from a tube of tomato paste
Chilli’s (fat, thin, red, green whatever! depends on how fiery you want your chilli!) I actually don’t use any chilli’s, my family don’t like the texture of them, I use 1 Tbsp of hot chilli powder, that’s fine for my family, 2 tbsp if I am making one for the boys!
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tbsp Paprika
1 Tbsp Oregano
½ Tbsp Black Pepper
½ Tbsp salt (less if you want. There is salt in the beans and I think the tinned tomatoes)
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ( This is a bit expensive but will last for years. It can be omitted but try not to, it really adds to the chilli! )
1 Tbsp cumin
½ Tbsp coriander
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tin of beans in tomato sauce (chilli beans if you want)
½ can of water
1 Tin cooked kidney beans drained and rinsed
OK it looks like a lot of ingredients but most of them are spices and tins. Get your spices from an Asian supermarket, they are so much better and cheaper!
Slow cooker method:
For this you will need at least a 3.5 Litre slow cooker. I have a Morphy Richards 3.5L slow cooker and it fills it nicely
Prepare your onion, pepper, garlic and bacon. Brown the mince, you will probably need to do it in 2 batches, drain off the water and fat, and add it to the slow cooker. That’s the hard work done!!! Now get out your tablespoon measure [:D]
To the slow cooker add everything else!! See! told you it was easy!! Mix it all together and set your slow cooker on auto for 10 -12 hours, or if you have no auto function then high for 2 hours and low for at least 8 hours! Longer if you wish (chilli is meant to be cooked slowly!) Add the kidney beans about an hour before the end. It chills well and tastes even better re-heated!! Also freezes well
You can add other kinds of beans like black beans, pinto beans but being a Brit I sometimes add another tin of good old Heinz baked beans! It’s a bean is it not!? (I half the brown sugar then cos the tinned beans has lots of sugar)
You can make this a veggie meal just don’t add the mince and about 2 hours before end of cooking, add 2 bags of veggie mince and turn the slow cooker to high
Stove top method:
Prepare your onion, pepper, garlic and bacon. Brown the mince, you will probably need to do it in 2 batches, drain off the water and fat. Add everything else and mix it well. Bring to the boil and set on simmer, lid on, for 30 minutes. Add the kidney beans heat through for 2-3 minutes and it’s ready!! It can be chilled in the fridge and reheated later. It tastes even better!! Also freezes well
I make this once a month and freeze half of it. I cook it either early in the morning or late in the evening. It cooks slowly overnight then. A nice smell in the morning. In fact I have been known to have chilli for breakfast [:I]
My thanks to Melanie and her team
