Recipe Zone: Cost-saving chilli con carne

From shopping around to minimising waste, the professionals know how to reduce your weekly shopping bill, writes Prudence Wade.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, many of us are looking for ways to save money where we can.

Food shops are one of the main things that have become more expensive in recent years – so are there any easy ways to save a bit of cash in the kitchen?

This speedy meal for four uses storecupboard ingredients and can be served up for under £5.

“This is a versatile dish that you can pair with many different things; have it with rice, smother it over fries, put it on a hot dog, pour it over a jacket spud or just use it as a dip for tortilla chips,” says Mitch Lane, author of Feed Your Family For Under A Fiver.

“It can be frozen as well, so it’s great for saving time while meal prepping.

“I use store-bought chilli con carne seasoning, but if you have a lot of spices in your cupboard (cumin, chilli powder, paprika, cumin seeds) then you’re on to a winner.

“This is so simple and it absolutely slaps with flavour.”

Chilli con carne

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

1tsp vegetable or olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 green chillies, finely chopped, plus 1 to serve

500g minced beef

41g packet of chilli con carne seasoning

400g tin chopped tomatoes

130g tin kidney beans, drained

300ml beef stock (made with a stock cube)

Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Put a pan on a medium heat and add the oil and the onion and soften for three to four minutes.

Add the garlic and chillies and continue to cook for a further two minutes. If you’re not keen on a lot of spice just use one chilli and remove the seeds.

2. Add the mince and break it up with the back of a spoon, ensuring that there’s no big lumps. Cook the meat until it’s nice and brown. Be generous with the salt and pepper and then add the chilli con carne seasoning. Mix well.

3. Add the tomatoes and kidney beans and stir. Then pour in the beef stock and simmer for 30 minutes. The simmering is very important (it’s like a fine wine that gets better with age).

4. Serve with sliced chilli.

Feed Your Family For Under A Fiver by Mitch Lane is published by Thorsons, priced £16.99. Photography by Tom Regester. Available now.