There are some dishes that are firm favourites in our family and chilli con carne is one of them. Pretty much every time my daughter visits me in France she asks me to make it, and of course I oblige. It’s such a quick and easy dish to make and ridiculously tasty into the bargain.
And bonus, I can pop it in my slow cooker to really let those juices marinade. It’s one of those dishes that is actually better the day after it’s made.
Like many of the dishes I feature here this one has been adapted and made into my own. So much so that it’s affectionately known as “Kylie’s Con Carne” in our household.
When I was first introduced to this dish I was about 25 years old, pregnant with my daughter and quite a plain eater. I wasn’t keen on hot food and I never used fresh chillies in anything. So when my partner at the time suggested we have chilli con carne one night I wasn’t keen. He promised me that the way he made it wouldn’t be too hot. And if I gave it a try he knew I’d enjoy it.
Well he was right. I loved it and since then it’s become a staple dish. It features regularly on our weekly menu.
Luckily my taste buds have developed somewhat over the years and I do now use fresh chillies as part of the recipe. But I also have a couple of secret ingredients of my own I’ve added to make it my own.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 x Onion Diced (oignon)
- 2 Squeezes of Garlic (ail)
- 6 Big Mushrooms (grands champignons)
- 400g Tin of Kidney Beans (une boîte de haricots rouges)
- 400g Tin of Diced Tomatoes (une boite de tomates hachées)
- Handful of Cherry Tomatoes Halved (tomates cerises)
- 500g of Minced Beef (Viande hachée pur boeuf)
- 1 Tbsp Sunflower Oil (huile de tournesol)
- 1 Red Pepper Sliced (poivron rouge coupé en tranches)
- 1 Green Pepper Sliced (poivron vert coupé en tranches)
- 1 Tsp Oregano (origan)
- 2 Tsp Paprika
- 1 Tsp Smoked Paprika (paprika fumé)
- 1-2 Tsp Chilli Powder (poudre de piment)
- Pinch of Salt & Pepper (sel & poivre noir)
- 1 Tbsp Tomato Puree (purée de tomate)
- 2 Squeezes of Tomato Ketchup
- 1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce (sauce au piment doux)
- A Glug of Red Wine (vin rouge)
INSTRUCTIONS
As always I like to get everything prepped first of all. This includes roughly chopping the onions and mushrooms and slicing the peppers. Once that’s done saute the onions with a drop of sunflower oil. Then add the mushrooms and peppers. When they’re cooked, transfer them into the slow cooker.
Next up it’s time to brown the mince and you shouldn’t need any oil for this. When it’s cooked, again transfer into the slow cooker. Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Pop your slow cooker on low and leave for 6-7 hours. Remember to stir a couple of times to ensure all the ingredients are completely mixed in. If there appears to be too much liquid turn the heat to medium leaving the lid off for the last 45 mins.
TO SERVE
- Tortillas
- Grated Cheese
- Guacamole
- Lettuce
- Creme Fraiche
Now of course the traditional way to serve this dish is with rice, but that’s not we do it. We use a combination of tacos and tortillas. Then add an array of accompaniments that turn this simple meal into a veritable feast.
The key is to make sure both tacos and tortillas have been warmed through before serving. Then spread a layer of creme fraiche on the base, add your chilli mix, and sprinkle grated cheese over the top. Add a dollop of guacamole and garnish with lettuce. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it.
So now it’s over to you. This is seriously such an easy dish to make and always goes down a storm. Often there is plenty left over for the next day. It tastes good with a jacket potato too.
Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can see your chilli con carne. And I’d love to know if you added your own ingredients to this recipe to mix things up.
À bientôt et merci beaucoup!
Life in Rural France