A lovely dinner option for cold winters evenings, this Chilli Con Carne Potato Top Pie is simple and delicious.
I love the flavours of Chilli Con Carne, so warm and comforting. I usually make it in a big pot and serve it over rice or in burritos. However I wanted to make a different version here today.
This recipe still has all the flavours you love but it has much less liquid and is created into a full meal with the inclusion of mashed potato as the topping.
I asked my Instagram audience what they have usually in their pantry and freezer for meals and it was so interesting to see that the answers were all really common ingredients I use too. One of the common meats was mince, and the pantry staples were simple too.
For me what I have on hand in the pantry really does not change much, I like to have common ingredients that I can use in a range of recipes depending on what meat I want to use as the recipe base. So I always have stock, canned tomatoes, herbs, spices and vegetables that I can add to almost any meal.
The key is to make sure you plan out your meals to include these ingredients over and over again, rather than one off ingredients
I also like ways to bulk out meals so that they go further, we are a family of 5 and with our kids in their teen years it often feels like we are serving 4 adults now! So I am delighted to share a few ways we make our meals delicious but to stretch further. I hope you find this post useful in that regard and in how to sneak in extra veges too.
For this recipe you will need:
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Beef Mince
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Onion
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Garlic
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Beef Stock
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Red Lentils
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Crushed Tomatoes
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Carrots
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Capsicum
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Honey
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Kidney Beans
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Frozen Corn
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Paprika
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Cumin
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Coriander
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Oregano
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Chilli Powder
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Salt & Pepper
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Potatoes
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Butter
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Milk
-
Cheese
If you were to make this as just a chilli con carne you would simply increase the canned tomatoes to 2 cans, otherwise keep it as is!
The method is lovely and simple and your house will smell amazing. You will see I have added red lentils to this recipe. I use these in quite a few recipes as they really do bulk out a recipe and they are good for you! Try them in stews and curry’s.
They are really reasonably priced and a bag will be enough for several meals as you only need half a cup or so per recipe but it makes a difference to the end result.
Usually 500 grams of mince would not be enough for us, but in this case with these additional ingredients it really can go a long way! This pie can easily feed 6.
The way to make a lovely Chilli Con Carne is to build the flavours then let those flavours infuse together for a long time. You will need a large frying pan for this one as we really add the ingredients!
The heat is up to you, you can do as little as half a teaspoon of chilli, which is what my family likes, we use hot chilli powder, or you can increase as per your taste!
The mix of ingredients is what is often referred to as a “Chilli Spice Mix”, some countries you will find when they refer to chilli mix they mean all of these ingredients so it pays to check before adding it.
I hope you love this recipe, it is warm chilli topped with a lovely mashed potato and a sprinkling of cheese. Baked in the oven and served on a cold winter evening, it will be a hit!
Onto my version of Chilli Con Carne Potato Top Pie
Chilli Con Carne Potato Top Pie
Delicious winter warming meal
Ingredients
- Oil
- 1/2 Onion, finely diced
- 2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
- 500 grams Beef Mince
- 2 teaspoons Paprika powder
- 2 teaspoons Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander, ground
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 1/2 to 2 teaspoon Chilli Powder, hot (up to your taste)
- 2 Large Carrots, peeled and grated
- 1 Red Capsicum, rinsed and diced
- 1 x400 gram Can Diced Chopped Tomatoes
- 1 x420 gram Can Red Kidney Beans
- 1/2 Cup Red Lentils, dried, 95 grams
- 1 Cup Beef Stock, 250 mls
- 1 Tablespoon Honey or Sugar
- 1 Cup Frozen Corn
- 6-8 Potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 20 grams Butter
- Up to 100mls Milk
- Grated Cheese - topping
Instructions
- Peel and grate the carrot and set aside
- Rinse and dice the capsicum and set aside
- Peel and finely dice half an onion and set aside
- Drain the red kidney beans and set aside
- In a large frying pan add a dash of oil over a medium heat and add the diced onion until it begins to soften
- Add the minced garlic to the pan and stir through the onion until the onion starts to become translucent
- Add to this the beef mince and break up the mince and stir until browned
- Add to this the paprika, cumin, coriander, oregano and chilli powder. You can choose the heat of the chilli powder, add half a teaspoon and taste from there.
- Add the carrot and capsicum now and stir through
- Then add the beef stock, crushed tomatoes, red lentils, kidney beans and honey and stir gently
- Simmer this for 40 minutes on a low heat to infuse all the flavours, stirring often to ensure it does not stick.
- While the chilli simmers, peel and dice the potatoes and pop them in a large pot of salted water to cook until soft and cooked through
- Turn on the oven to 200C Bake
- Once the potatoes are cooked through drain and add the butter, a little salt & pepper, then mash well and add the milk a little at a time until it is light and fluffy and no lumps remain.
- Once the chilli is cooked at the end of the 40 minutes, stir through the frozen corn and spoon it into a large oven proof dish
- Spoon over the mashed potato and spread roughly over the top of the chilli
- If you wish, sprinkle with grated cheese or brush with melted butter
- Place the potato pie in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on the top
- Serve and enjoy!
I so look forward to hearing what you think of this one, be sure to let me know in the comments down below.
Thank you so much for stopping by to check out my latest recipes on my blog. If you are not already be sure to follow me on Facebook or Instagram for more deliciousness, and you can register your email in the subscription box below to receive all my recipes as I publish them.
Happy Cooking!
Anna
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Meg says
So good and so much tastier than I expected. I omitted the beans as I didn’t have them on hand. Top was crunchy and delicious with moist meaty & veg goodness underneath. Biggest compliment from the family was, “Can you make this again?”
justamumnz says
That’s wonderful to hear!