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This veg packed Chilli Con Carne is the perfect meal for postpartum. Beef mince, loads of hidden vegetables and beans; this protein packed healthy meal is perfect for the whole family. Veg can be diced to accommodate even the smallest mouths. Spices can be reduced or omitted to suit every pallet. It can be made in advance and frozen. One of my perfect freezer meals for postpartum as it defrosts well and is nutrient dense. It can be made in a slow cooker or instant pot. Its a winter warmer that will use up all the veggies hiding in the back of the fridge. Easy to freeze. Easy to serve. This is the perfect family dinner recipe and one of my ultimate meals for postpartum.
Welcome to Hennys Recipe Book
Now that we have a family I am experimenting in the kitchen more than ever before. My focus is on healthy, whole foods. More often than not my recipes can be made in bulk, for future use. Or store in the freezer for the postpartum snacks.
I grew up surrounded by home cooks. Influenced heavily by my mum, grandma and aunties, my recipes are family focused.
I feel very privileged to have a collection of recipes passed on my by late Grandmother. Hand typed on her type writer. She travel widely for a single Mum of her era. Therefore my inherited recipe book is a collection of recipes from family and friends from all over the world.
Now with a young family of my own, I’m sharing, adapting and creating more recipes to add to her collection. Recipes that will hopefully continue to be passed down the generations.
I hope that you find your own inspiration from our recipes. Most of them can be adapted to suit all tastes and families. Know all the recipes are ones that I use regularly for my own loved ones. They have been created with love and care. I hope that you and your family enjoy them as much as mine. If you would like to stay up to date with our weekly recipes join our newsletter here.
Why this is one of my perfect healthy meals for postpartum?
- It’s healthy! Packed to the brim with nutrient-dense real food like vegetables, beans, bone broth and tomatoes. Lots of nutrients and fibre blended into one comforting and warming winter recipe.
- This recipe can be made quickly in advance in an Instant Pot, slower cooker, or casserole dish left on the hob. Make ahead, eat later.
- The recipe can be easily scaled up if you want to make even more to freeze and use later. The perfect recipe for batch cooking.
- It can be made to suit most taste buds if you scale up or down the spices.
- Chop the veg extra finely and it can easily be served to babies as young as six months.
- It works for most diets. It is naturally gluten free. Make it vegan by switching out the bone broth for veggie broth, and switch the beef for lentils. Its dairy free as long as you don’t top it with cheese or sour cream.
Ingredients you will need for this healthy meals for postpartum
Here’s a look at the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Most of our ingredients are things you will likely already have in your fridge or pantry. Missing something? Don’t worry, we’ve suggested some ingredient swaps and tricks that might help. Don’t let one missing ingredient prevent you from making a delicious from-scratch meal, snack or dessert for your family.
- Olive oil – use any type that you have, my preference is Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). Butter will work just as well, but make sure not to let it burn in the early steps.
- Vegetables – I always start this recipe by cooking a soffritto (onion, carrots and celery) until golden. Then I add courgette, mushrooms, pepper. Any other combination of meaty vegetables that you find in the back of the fridge will work just as well. (For instance, aubergine or sweet potato.) Consider your youngest eater when making slicing the veg. I generally mince/finely chop all the veg in my box cutter. That way I can use this meal to feed even my youngest daughter, from about six months.
- Sauce – The sauce for this recipe is made from chopped or plum tomatoes and stock. I usually use homemade chicken stock, as its cheap, easy to freeze and use later, and packed with nutrients. However homemade stock is not necessary. If you are using store bought I would consider using low-salt if serving to young children.
- Meat – Beef mince (also called ground mince). If making vegetarian swap for green lentils. Using green lentils also allows you to make this meal on a much lower budget.
- Beans – Although perhaps not traditional I like to bulk this recipe out even further with beans. I use haricot or cannellini beans as I find that kidney beans are too big and hard for younger mouths. Sometimes beans can make your little ones gassy. If you know that your baby or toddler has a sensitive tummy I would leave the beans out!
- Herbs, Spices and Garlic – this recipe uses garlic, black pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, marjoram and ground cumin. Don’t worry if you don’t have the marjoram. I know a lot of people don’t keep this in stock, simply omit it. The chilli powder can be scaled up or down to suit your family’s pallet. Add little by little and taste as you go if you’re not sure how spicy to make it.
- Optional Ingredients – I like to add BBQ sauce and coconut aminos for a bit of extra flavour. Completely optional. A tablespoon of Henderson’s Relish (or Worcestershire sauce) would also work.
Equipment you will need for this healthy meals for postpartum
Our recipes rarely require any fancy tools. Every recipe will at least require a sharp knife and a chopping board. We don’t use a microwave to heat our food; so everything can be made either on the hob or in the oven. (Or in an Instant Pot if you have one!) Conversions for electric, fan and Celsius and Fahrenheit are included in each recipe.
See my list of most used toddler and baby meal prep tools here.
Find my list of non-toxic kitchen tools here.
For this recipe you will need:
- 1 Casserole dish
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Knife
- Assorted measuring spoons
- Garlic crusher (optional)
Step-by-step instructions for this healthy meals for postpartum
Tips for success when making this healthy meals for postpartum
- #1 Use baked beans instead of kidney beans. They’re easier for little ones to eat and digest.
- #2 Add a handful of chopped spinach if you want to increase the iron content for really iron rich meals for postpartum.
- #3 Get your little one involved in the cooking process by asking them to cut up the mushrooms with a butter knife (or tare with their fingers). They’re more likely to eat the meal if they helped to cook it!
- #4 Use a box cutter to dice your vegetables small and quick!
Frequently Asked Questions for this healthy meals for postpartum
How long can I store this meal in the fridge?
Let the Chilli Con Carne cool and store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
How long will this meal store in the freezer?
Let the Chilli Con Carne cool and store in a freezer safe container in the freezer for up to 6 months. You can store it in a large portion. Or you can store it in smaller individual portions according to how you plan to serve it as leftovers.
How do I heat this meal up from frozen?
I don’t use the microwave often. When serving smaller portions that I have frozen specifically for my children, I add the portions/cubes to a pan with a splash of water. Heat on low on the hob/stove with a lid on the pan. If I’m reheating a larger portion then I pop it into the oven on low (covered with an oven safe lid or foil) until defrosted. In both instances I’ll stir occasionally and add a splash more water if needed.
What’s the best way to serve this dish?
Serve with rice or on top of baked sweet or white potatoes. Alternatively, serve with a crispy green salad and a slice of garlic bread.
Little mouths may appreciate the dish served with a dollop of creme fresh, sour cream or grated cheese.
How do I get my toddler to eat this meal?
Start small. Don’t over face your toddler. If possible offer variety. For instance maybe offer some carrot sticks alongside the Chilli Con Carne. Can you serve it creatively in their favourite bowl? Let them add toppings, this will add interest as well as flavour. Don’t pressure them. Model eating the food yourself. Present the food positively. “Flissy I’ve made this meal using your favourite… ” Where possible get them involved in the cooking. My toddler loves to chop mushrooms. When you serve the meal, make a fuss of their contribution. They will be more likely to eat something they are proud of.
Please comment and rate the recipe below if you make it. I’d love to know what your family thinks and your feedback helps us continue to improve our recipes.
Healthy Meals for Postpartum – Ultimate Family Chilli Con Carne with Hidden Veg
Equipment
- 1 Knife
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Casserole dish
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Chopping board
- Assorted Measuring spoons
- 1 Garlic crusher (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 500 g Minced beef
- 2 Carrots
- 1 large (White) Onion
- 2 Bell peppers (I prefer red and green)
- 300 g Mushrooms
- 1 small Courgette (Optional)
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Marjoram
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Chilli powder (I prefer hot, but use mild if sharing with your little ones)
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1 tbsp Coconut aminos (Swap with Worcestshire sauce or Henderson's Relish)
- 1 tbsp BBQ Sauce (Optional – reduce honey by half if using)
- 1 tin Chopped tomatoes (Swap with plum tomatoes or passata)
- 1 tin Baked beans (Swap with your beans of choice)
- 150 ml Beef, chicken or vegetable stock
Instructions
- Heat a large casserole dish on a medium-high heat (or Instant Pot on 'saute high') and add 1 tbsp of olive oil.
- Add the minced beef and evenly brown the meat all over.
- Remove the meat and set aside. You can remove the excess fat from the pan if this is your preference.
- Finley dice the vegetables. Consider the age of your youngest eater. The younger the child, the more finely you will want to dice the vegetables. (Pro tip: use a box cutter to speed this up!)
- In the same casserole pan as the meat was cooked in, add the finely diced carrots and onion as well as another tbsp of olive oil. Stir often until the onion turns translucent and the carrots soften.
- Next add the peppers, courgette and mushrooms. Continue to stir frequently.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add the ground cumin, smoked paprika, marjoram, oregano, chilli powder and salt and pepper. Continue to stir often. (If the vegetables start to stick to the pan add a few tablespoons of water.)
- Crush the garlic and add to the pan.
- Add the honey, tomato paste, coconut aminos and BBQ sauce (if using).
- Add the tins of chopped tomatoes and baked beans, as well as the chicken or beef stock to the pan. Stir well.
- Replace the lid of the casserole dish (or Instant Pot) and leave to cook on low for at least 45 minutes. Ideally cook the chilli for two hours. (If using an Instant Pot select the slow cook function and select 2 hours and press start.)
- Once cooked serve with rice, sweet potato or flat bread and enjoy!
That’s a wrap for now…
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About the author – Olivia Henny
Olivia Henny is a wife and mother to two young daughters. She is now pregnant with their third child. She lives with her husband in the North East of the UK. Their home is nestled in the British countryside, but not too far from a neighbouring city. Olivia writes from her own motherhood experience. As well as drawing from the experience and advice of other families and Mums, who she has interviewed for certain blog posts. Olivia loves being a mother and wife, and enjoys learning from the experience of other Mums online. Feeling that the online motherhood community has helped her so much in her own parenting journey. She would now like to give something back. Hoping that other Mums will find solidarity, inspiration, laughter and information from her motherhood and homemaking blogs.
Olivia is passionate about food and the health of her family. She already has decades of experience experimenting in the kitchen alongside her late Grandmother. Taking that experience and desire to create wholesome food, she is now sharing her family recipes here. She hopes to inspire other young families to cook from-scratch whole food. She feels that the kitchen is the heart of any home. Food having the power to make memories and bring people together.
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