A lovely dinner option for cold winters evenings, this Chilli Con Carne Potato Top Pie is simple and delicious.
Posted June 1, 2022, Updated January 6, 2025
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:
-
Beef Mince
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Onion
-
Garlic
-
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
-
Paprika
-
Cumin
-
Coriander
-
Oregano
-
Chilli Powder
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Salt & Pepper
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Potatoes
-
Butter
-
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 cloves Garlic, minced
- 500 g Beef Mince
- 2 teaspoons Paprika powder
- 2 teaspoons Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander, ground
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- ½ to 2 teaspoon Chilli Powder, hot (up to your taste)
- 2 Large Carrots, 260 g, peeled and grated
- 1 Red Capsicum, rinsed and diced
- 1⅔ Cups Diced Chopped Tomatoes, 1 x 420 g can
- 1 x 420 g Can Red Kidney Beans, drained
- ½ Cup Red Lentils, dried, 95 g
- 1 Cup Beef Stock, 250 ml
- 1 Tablespoon Honey or Sugar
- 1 Cup Frozen Corn, 200 g
- 1 teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 6-8 Medium Potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 20 g Butter
- Up to 100ml Milk
- Optional 50 g Grated Cheese or 20 g Melted Butter - Topping
Instructions
- Peel and grate the carrots, dice the capsicum and half an onion, and drain the kidney beans. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a very large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until slightly softened. Stir in garlic and gently cook until the onion is translucent.
- Add the beef mince, breaking it up into small pieces and stirring until well browned. Mix in the paprika, cumin, coriander, oregano, and chilli powder (start with ½ teaspoon and adjust to taste) and stir in these spices for 2 minutes to infuse flavour..
- Add in the carrot and capsicum and stir to combine then add the beef stock, crushed tomatoes, red lentils, kidney beans, and honey. Simmer on low heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, cover with a splatter guard if available.
- While the chilli simmers, peel and dice the potatoes. Add the potatoes to a large saucepan of cold salted water and boil until soft, then drain. Mash with butter, salt, and pepper, adding milk a little at a time until smooth and fluffy.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C and grease a large ceramic or metal ovenproof dish, approx 30 x 20cm.
- Once the chilli has simmered for 40 minutes stir in the frozen corn, salt and pepper into the chilli, remove it from the heat then spoon it into the dish. Top with dollops of the mashed potato, spreading evenly and creating ridges with a fork.
- If you wish, sprinkle grated cheese or brush with melted butter for a golden topping.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, serve warm with a green salad and crusty bread.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 763Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 923mgCarbohydrates: 92gFiber: 15gSugar: 17gProtein: 42g
JustAMumNZ.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although justamumnz.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
I so look forward to hearing what you think of this one, be sure to let me know in the comments down below.
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Happy Baking!
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!