Baby Led Weaning Recipe: Chilli Con Carne

A baby led weaning chilli recipe, finally! Chilli con carne. It’s one of my go-to meals regardless of the time of year; it’s easy to make, filling, healthy and freezes like a dream. Best of all, it tastes even better re-heated when the flavours have had time to mingle even more. This chilli con carne recipe makes a great baby led weaning meal that’s also suitable for the entire family. We call it chilli but it’s more about the flavour than it being spicy, you can control that yourself with the heat level of the chilli powder. The addition of beans mean that it’s a really filling meal and packed full of good energy to get your child through the day… and you of course!

The recipe below includes ingredients that will add flavour if you’re serving it to all members of the household. If you’re intending to serve this to your baby as part of their baby led weaning journey then you may wish to remove the bacon and replace the stock cubes and baked beans with low salt/low sugar versions or remove them entirely.

This recipe shows beef but the mince can easily be swapped for turkey mince which gives a slightly chunkier texture for little hands, or for quorn if you’re looking for a vegetarian option.

Related post: Read our review of the Cosatto Noodle Supa Highchair

Chilli Con Carne (Feeds 4 adults)

You will need:

• 500g lean mince (turkey or beef)
• 4 rashers of bacon, roughly chopped*
• One chopped onion
• One tin of chopped tomatoes
• One tin of kidney beans (drained and washed)
• One tin of baked beans*
• Two beef stock cubes*
• One pint boiling water
• 1 tsp chopped garlic/garlic puree
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Seasoning
• Fry-light

To serve (for adults!):

• Rice/Baked potato
• Sour cream/Crème fraîche

Recipe:

1. Spray pan with fry-light and brown off mince, breaking it into small chunks as you stir
2. Once lightly browned, add the onion and bacon. Crumble one of the stock cubes over the top, stirring at regular intervals to prevent catching
3. When both onion and bacon looks lightly cooked, mix the remaining stock cube with the pint of boiling water and pour the water into the pan
4. Add all remaining ingredients and stir well
5. Bring the pan to the boil before reducing the heat and allowing to simmer for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning
6. If you’re planning to re-heat or freeze the mixture, leave it with a little excess liquid as this will cook off upon reheating. If you’re planning to eat it immediately, continue to cook until the liquid is reduced to a thick gravy consistency. You can always add additional hot water if required.
7. Once thickened sufficiently, remove from heat and serve.
8. Best served for babies with a small amount of rice and for adults with a side of rice or over a jacket potato and a generous dollop of sour cream/crème fraîche to stir through.

To freeze this dish, allow to cool completely prior to freezing. When re-heating, you can always ‘pad out’ the recipe by adding extra tins of tomatoes, beans and stock then allowing it to simmer down until thickened again.

For more baby led weaning recipes, you can find our favourites here! 

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