chillied beef with cheesy tortillas

Preparation time 20 minutes

Cooking temperature low

Cooking time 8–10 hours

Serves 4

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

500 g (1 lb) extra lean minced beef

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon crushed dried red chillies

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon plain flour

400 g (13 oz) can chopped tomatoes

410 g (13½ oz) can red kidney beans, drained

150 ml (¼ pint) beef stock

1 tablespoon dark muscovado sugar

salt and pepper

Topping

100 g (3½ oz) tortilla chips

½ red pepper, cored, deseeded and diced

chopped coriander

100 g (3½ oz) mature Cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the slow cooker if necessary; see the manufacturer’s instructions. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the mince and onion and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes, breaking up the mince with a spoon until it is browned.

Stir in the garlic, paprika, chillies and cumin and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour. Mix in the tomatoes, kidney beans, stock and sugar, season with salt and pepper and pour the mixture into the slow cooker pot. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 8–10 hours.

Stir the chilli, then arrange the tortilla chips on top. Sprinkle over the remaining ingredients, lift the pot out of the housing using oven gloves and brown under a hot grill until the cheese just melts. Spoon into bowls to serve.

For turkey fajitas with guacamole, make up the chilli as above, using 500 g (1 lb) minced turkey instead of the beef. To serve, halve, stone and peel 1 avocado and mash the flesh with the juice of 1 lime, a small bunch of torn fresh coriander and some salt and pepper. Spoon the turkey mixture on to 8 warmed, medium soft flour tortillas, top with spoonfuls of guacamole and 8 tablespoons soured cream, if liked, and roll up to serve.