BLW chunky chilli con carne

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Recipe sent in by Catherine

★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ 4 ratings Rate this recipe

The general idea is to have chunks of mince and vegetables in the finished dish, rather than it all broken up...

Photo: Well Worn Whisk

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Serves 4
Difficulty Level Easy

Preparation

Print this recipe

Total Time 30 mins
Preparation Time 10 mins
Cooking Time 20 mins

Ingredients
Method

250g lean minced beef (could use minced pork or chicken if preferred)
garlic (1x clove)
¼ tsp chilli powder
1 onion
1 red pepper
1 courgette
250g passata (finely sieved tomatoes as jars of pasta sauces tend to be full of salt)
1 small tin red kidney beans
sour cream (to serve)
cheddar cheese (to serve), grated

Take the minced beef out of the packet and cut into finger chunks
Dry fry these until brown in a hot pan
Finely slice the garlic, then slice onion, pepper and courgette into large, chunky slices
Add these to a separate pan from the mince with a little oil and fry until softened
Add in the passata, kidney beans and chilli powder and stir well
Add the mince into the mixture and leave to simmer for around 10 minutes - if the sauce gets too dry add a tiny bit of water or turn the heat down
Allow to cool in the pan, divide up into portions - serve with homemade potato wedges, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of grated cheddar

You will need

Frying pan

Tips

Making them into meatballs about the size of a ping pong ball worked really well - just squash the meat together before frying

Variations

For a baby just starting to wean, put a selection of the meat and veg sticks on their tray and watch them put tomato sauce all over their faces, in their ears
For one a bit older serve as is, or add a bit of tortilla wrap or some sticky rice (risotto rice is great for BLW as it's grab-able!)
If you want to teach them to use a spoon, take some of the tomato sauce, veg and kidney beans and roughly mash together and serve alongside the meat and veg finger food
For the grown-ups you can try it over a bowl of nachos, sprinkled with cheese and put under a hot grill for 5 minutes - So good!!
If you are not baby led weaning, you could break the mince up and chop the veg into small pieces or blend/mash the finished meal

Reviews

★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ 4 ratings Rate this recipe

Sasha-rose F

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4

I left the courgette out as we don't like it. It's a very plain recipe but nice enough and the huge benefit is that it is quick to make for a mid week meal.

on 5/11/20
Guest

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5

Wonderful!

on 3/8/15
Guest

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4

very good recipe, I always add a fresh hot chilli as I like my chilli to be hot.

on 29/4/15
Guest

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4

A great way to ease small children into trying different spices and flavours . This is a favourite in our household.

on 13/4/15
Guest

I think its definatley a case of trial and error, My little brother was given baby food that was processed and smooth like it had oil in it,also kept away from certain foods, spices after the hv put the fear of god into my mother lol.now 18 years later he is the fussiest eater iv ever known and will only eat certain textures, i think if you start them early on your own food (spices too) you wont raise a fussy child. If they dont like it they wont eat it . If they have belly ache they wont eat it again. Im a first time mom to a 5 month old, and she is going to try everything :) :)

on 28/8/11
Guest

Im going to try this today im a fan of spicy food but little 1 isnt so ill b ading a little pinch of black peper

on 25/2/11
Guest

ive never been told by anyone not to put spices in baby food,ive always done it and i think its good to get them used to stronger flavours earlier,as someone said in other cultures its the norm,and unless theres a history of digestive problems i dont see why they shouldnt get to enjoy food with some flavour.What you hv says isnt the law you know theyre their for a guide,its up to you how you feed your baby,i had one telling me to give my (very healthy but less than average weight)son crisps and chocolate to fatten him up once,so im rather sceptical about them. God that must be why most english kids live on chicken nuggets and smiley faces,its not their fault,theyve been brought up on bland food!

on 11/12/10
Guest

Off topic alil.. My mum use to un an alternative therapies clinic, that mainly delved into digestive woes and bowel problems. Most of her clients were arabic or asain descent, mainly due to there eating habbits so i can understand why health advisors say NOT to give spicy foods.

on 12/11/10
Guest

Sounds great, I'm going to try it tonight! x

on 3/8/10
Guest

Ref: Chilli powder...there's such a small amount in this recipe it is hardly noticeable. Babies tend to prefer stronger flavours so I have always used plenty of aromatics and spices in my childrens' food, especially as they don't have any salt added. Babies in Asian & Arab cultures are often weaned on food that is spicy, so I think it's a case of wrapping children up in cotton wool really.

on 14/6/10
Sarah O(167)

asda smartprice pasata has no added salt and has the same amount of salt per 100g as chopped tomatoes. traditionally pasata is just sieved tomatoes, i have no idea why some of the more expensive brands add salt!

on 20/4/10
Guest

hi i just wanted to add that passata has loads of salt in it, using a tin of chopped toms blended down to desired consistency would be healthier option.

on 19/4/10
Guest

Sounds like a nice recipe for older children but babies shouldn't have chilli powder in their diet until they are at least 24 months old. My HV has been very specific about this with both of my LO's as their digestive system is not developed enough and they can react badly to it.

on 18/4/10