Slow Cooker 'dump n go' Chilli (and a rant on productivity)
This is a kid-friendly, exhausted-mum friendly chilli that is healthy and really tasty too. Make it once and love it forever.
Every now and then Quite often, I’m just totally exhausted and the thought of cooking dinner is a LOT. One tip. Cook dinner, if you are able to, mid-morning - or the point at which you have most energy. (Working out of the house peeps, try batch cooking a couple of things at weekend or in evening if you’re a night owl). OK, two tips: get a slow cooker, one where you CAN, if you want, sear off in first. This dish doesn’t require that, but mostly it’s a winner if you can have that option.
This is mine*. I use it, honestly, at least 3 or 4 times a week. It’s amazing. I will take this over an air fryer any day of the week. Old school, me.
This morning, I hadn’t slept well, I had overdone it yesterday which made me overtired and overwrought like a toddler. In the morning, the youngest was playing up, as ever (at the mo), and I just felt, DRAINED. So, so TIRED.
The answer isn’t an extra coffee, as tempting as it is. I mostly limit myself to one - as whenever I have two because of tiredness, I feel genuinely bad. Exhaustion with a layer of over caffeinated isn’t a nice feeling. Nope.
Better to be kind to your future self. Cooking dinner early (or, of course get a takeaway or dig about in the freezer later - that’s also fine) is a massive go to for me. I would even say, on the days when I haven’t done it in advance (only a rare occasion, that) I dread dinner time. I am knackered by that time. Midlife? Perimenopause? Dunno. But my energy fluctuates throughout the month. But also during the day. My best energy, having slept well-ish, is normally in the morning. If I ever do a Ted Talk, I’ll choose the 10am slot. I mean, I don’t know what said Ted Talk would be on, but…
Anyway. So that’s when I do what I need to do. Then, come afternoon, I can chill a bit - on the sofa, fire on, maybe do a bit of work on laptop or fold laundry, or go to a Sober Mom Squad meeting. With chocolate. And tea, of course.
Do I feel guilty? NOPE. NOOOOOO. I do not.
Because I know when the kids get back and I give them snacks, and I feed them dinner and then see to them all evening - and including, by the way, sleeping with my little one at the mo… the starting all over again in the morning. Well, I do what I need to. And when I need to rest, I rest. Without guilt.
This culture of ours is way too focused on productivity as a measurement of worth. Sure, I love a productive day, but they only come after I rested the right amount. Rest creates productivity.
And that brings me to this recipe. It wasn’t planned. I DO note down a few meals on a white board planner on the fridge but it’s a loose meal plan, more so than I used to do back in the day when I was mainly a food blogger and meal planning was my THANG! LOL! Really, it was. What a nerd!
What it said was Spag Bol. But I know my littlest prefers chilli. So, same, same, really.
Did you know… You can BUNG frozen mince, veggies, spices and beans into a pan and 7 hours later you have a really tasty chilli? Huh, huh? DID YA?! Serve with rice, cheese, greek yoghurt, and jalapeños. Also, guac if you have it. I don’t make my chilli spicy, for obvious reasons, but you can easily by adding chilli powder - I use paprika and cumin, and lots of it, for flavour rather than heat. Kids like flavour, remember.
Make it once and it will be in your repertoire forever. Veggie choice is down to you - today I used courgette and red pepper but you could add carrot, celery etc. Are you a veggie? NP - simply omit meat and bulk up beans. Also, howzabout adding some butternut squash and some chick peas too??? Nice.
See vid below and tell me you can see it was a bung and go - FROM FROZEN, too! Amazing, amiright?!
Makes: enough for 6 people
Takes: 3 mins to prep; 7 hours to cook
Ingredients (as ever, completely adaptable):
500g beef mince, frozen OK
2 onions, roughly chopped
1 red pepper roughly chopped
1 courgette roughly… you guessed it
Few cloves garlic, or a squeeze of paste
2 tins chopped toms
1 tin kidney beans with water
Stock cube or jelly
Big tablespoon of paprika
Same of ground cumin
S&P
Method:
Pop everything in the slow cooker. Put onto high to get it going, then turn down. Or not, it’ll still be OK.
Serve with anything you like!
It’s THAT easy.
Untill next time, keep cooking things that are easy. And if the people don’t like it, tell ‘em to get themselves some cornflakes! HUZZAH!
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