This recipe is so easy, cheap and tasty we’d recommend it for anyone. Great for freezing and the lentils extend the beef mince and make it a really affordable meal. Perfect for big families!

A big thanks to Rosanne, our Community Manager and Nutritionist, for sharing the recipe with us. For more from Rosanne, head to her website here.

CHEAP AS CHIPS CHILLI

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups brown rice or basmati rice
1 – 2 beef soup cubes in 3 cups boiling water or 3 cups homemade soup stock
1 onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
1-2 whole red chilli pepper, diced with seeds
4-5 large mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1.5 tbsp chilli seasoning (mixture of paprika, chilli, cumin, salt, garlic, cloves, marjoram)
1 large celery stick, diced (optional)
2-3 carrots, grated
1-2 zucchini, grated or diced into quarters
1 x 450 gram can of lentils, drained OR / 1 cup uncooked lentils cooked in three cups water
1 can of regular, low sugar baked beans
2 cans of chopped tomatoes, (Italian or Pesto flavoured taste great!)
300-500 grams of beef mince
½ bag or fresh spinach or 5 cubes frozen spinach
1 green capsicum
Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Rice: Prepare rice according to instruction on packet. Each ½ cup of dry rice will make about 1 cup of cooked rice. Serve from ½ to 1 cup cooked rice depending on person’s size and energy requirements.

2. Chilli: Cook onion for 3-4 minutes until becoming translucent.

3. Add garlic, mushrooms and red chilli pepper and cook for 2 more minutes.

4. Add in 1.5 tbsp chilli seasoning or chilli powder and stir.

5. Cook mince in a separate pan with salt and pepper added toward the end. Breaking up as it becomes just cooked through. Drain off any fat and put mince aside.

6. Add celery, carrots and zucchini and cook for 5 minutes.

7. Add cooked mince and stir in.

8. Pour in cans of tomatoes, kidney beans and baked beans, stir and simmer for 15 minutes.

9. Just before serving, add in the spinach and green capsicum and cook for 3 minutes.