I’d not really cooked chilli con carne before today but bonfire night commands it I feel and as it’s rather nippy outside I’ve made a big batch using ingredients from my favourite Aldi. We shall have some tonight before the fireworks to warm us up before we leave and then I’ll freeze the rest in portons for quick meals on other days.

I looked up a few recipes and asked my Mum what she did then in the end adapted it to suit my tastes. My added spoonful of honey, I think, gives it a nice little kick of sweet in all the right places. So, if you fancy cooking up a chili for tonight too and don’t have a recipe then let me recommend my own – it’s very easy and takes little work at all. All ingredients used here were purchased from Aldi and for a pot of chili for 4 people with tortilla chips on the side works out at £1.50 per person.

Ingredients:

500g of 5% extra lean beef mince, one mild onion peeled and chopped, a teaspoon of mild chilli powder, two tins of chopped tomatoes, a handful of chopped mushrooms, a tablespoon of tomato puree, one deseeded chopped red chilli, two carrots peeled and chopped, a clove of garlic finely chopped, one red pepper deseeded and chopped, a teaspoon of ground cumin, a couple of teaspoons of runny honey, olive oil and a can of kidney beans.

Method:

Fry the vegetables (minus the chilli) in the oil until soft then brown the meat in the pan and add the garlic before adding the tinned tomatoes and tomato puree. Simmer for a few minutes then add the chopped chilli, chilli powder, cumin and honey then leave to simmer for around 20 minutes before blitzing smoothe with a hand held blender. Finally add the kidney beans and leave simmering gently until ready to eat.

I will serve mine with these delicious red pepper and cheddar tortilla chips from the Aldi Specially Selected range and some grated cheese. You always have to have grated cheese with chilli!

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