Easy & Delicious Veggie Chilli: Master Food Waste with Frozen Veg & 5 Creative Leftover Meals

Discover how to make a delicious, quick vegetarian chilli using frozen vegetables, and explore 5 fantastic ideas to transform your leftovers into exciting new meals. This insightful post is proudly sponsored by Iceland, helping you reduce food waste with quality frozen ingredients.

Did you know that in the UK, households collectively waste a staggering 7 million tonnes of food each year? This monumental waste comes with an estimated total cost of £12.5 billion, averaging around £700 per family. These figures are truly shocking, especially when considering how much of this waste is perfectly avoidable with a little conscious effort, planning, and smart choices in the kitchen.

Adopting simple habits can make a significant difference in tackling this widespread issue. Steps like diligently using food items in date order, thoroughly checking your fridge and pantry for existing ingredients before grocery shopping to prevent overbuying, engaging in regular meal planning, and batch cooking larger quantities of food can drastically cut down on the amount of food that ends up in the bin. These practices not only benefit your wallet but also contribute positively to environmental sustainability.

One of the most effective strategies for reducing food waste is opting for frozen foods instead of fresh alternatives. Frozen produce boasts a much longer shelf life, allowing you to use precisely what you need from the freezer and safely store the rest for future meals. This eliminates the common problem of fresh ingredients spoiling before they can be fully consumed.

I often find myself in the situation where I’ve purchased a large bag of fresh vegetables, perhaps due to a special offer, only to discover that half of it has gone soft or mushy before I’ve had a chance to use it all. It’s a frustrating cycle that many home cooks are familiar with.

One of my personal goals has been to become more organised with my kitchen inventory, actively monitoring what’s in the fridge to ensure everything gets used before its expiry. I also make a habit of freezing any fresh produce I anticipate won’t be used in time, transforming potential waste into convenient future ingredients.

Embracing frozen vegetables has truly been a game-changer in my kitchen. It completely bypasses the challenge of racing against time to finish fresh produce before it spoils. Beyond just waste reduction, frozen vegetables offer incredible convenience. They often come pre-chopped, peeled, and ready to cook straight from the bag, saving precious prep time – no more tedious peeling or dicing!

Iceland’s range of frozen products exemplifies this commitment to quality and convenience. Their frozen vegetables and other ingredients are consistently high-quality and delicious, and they offer a vast selection. This makes it incredibly simple to whip up a huge variety of tasty, healthy, and convenient meals using entirely frozen components, further helping to significantly cut down on household food waste. Their dedication to reducing plastic packaging also aligns perfectly with a more sustainable approach to cooking.

When Iceland challenged me to develop a recipe that generated as little waste as possible, my mind immediately went to a vegetable chilli. It’s one of my all-time favourite hearty meals. While I traditionally prepared it with fresh vegetables, I was eager to explore how well it would translate using frozen alternatives. The experiment was a resounding success!

The answer, to my delight, is perfectly! In fact, using frozen vegetables makes this easy veggie chilli even better. It drastically cuts down on preparation and cooking time, and the result is a rich, flavourful dish that leaves behind virtually no food waste.

I crafted this easy veggie chilli recipe using almost exclusively frozen vegetables. The only exceptions are the sweet potatoes and a few cloves of fresh garlic (though even frozen garlic is a fantastic, waste-free option!). This means the only waste generated from preparing this entire pot of deliciousness is a few sweet potato peelings – a truly minimal footprint!

The frozen vegetables are simmered to perfection with a blend of warming spices, tinned chopped tomatoes, and robust kidney beans. And yes, there’s a tiny hint of cocoa powder – don’t be sceptical, it adds an incredible depth and richness to the chilli! The result is an incredibly quick, hearty, healthy, and undeniably delicious meal that’s packed with flavour and nutrients.

I personally love to serve this versatile easy veggie chilli with fluffy white rice (Iceland’s convenient frozen rice steam bags cook in just three minutes, making mealtime even faster!), a generous handful of crunchy tortilla chips for dipping, a cooling dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of grated cheddar cheese, and some freshly diced avocado or creamy guacamole. For a completely vegan meal, simply swap out the dairy toppings for plant-based alternatives.

This chilli makes for a fantastic and comforting meal to share with the whole family. Did you know that children who eat with their families at least five times a week are at a lower risk of developing poor eating habits, weight problems, and alcohol or substance dependencies? They also tend to perform better academically than their peers who frequently eat alone or away from home. I certainly wasn’t aware of all these profound benefits! Beyond the vital social element of connecting over food, these statistics provide excellent reasons to make sure everyone gathers around the table together to enjoy a wholesome, homemade meal.

Now, this recipe yields a fairly large batch of chilli, so it’s highly likely you’ll have delicious leftovers. This is where the magic of meal repurposing truly comes into play! The chilli keeps beautifully in the fridge for a few days and reheats wonderfully for another quick meal. While I don’t mind eating the same dinner two nights in a row, that’s usually my limit before I crave something different. Fortunately, chilli is incredibly versatile and can be transformed into a whole host of exciting new recipes, ensuring there’s absolutely no need to waste a single spoonful.

Below, I’ve shared five creative and easy ideas to repurpose your leftover veggie chilli into entirely new dishes. I haven’t provided exact measurements for the leftover portion, as that will depend on how much you have remaining, but all these ideas are straightforward and simple to adapt. Get ready to turn your leftovers into culinary triumphs!

Note: The base chilli recipe itself is entirely vegan. While my chosen toppings (like sour cream and cheddar) are not, they can be effortlessly swapped for readily available vegan alternatives if you wish to keep your meal plant-based.

Leftovers Variation 1: Nacho Feast

Transform your leftover veggie chilli into a vibrant nacho feast that’s perfect for a casual dinner or a party snack. Preheat your oven to a medium-low heat, around 160°C (325°F). Spread a generous layer of tortilla chips evenly across an oven-proof dish or baking tray. Spoon your leftover chilli over the chips, ensuring good coverage, then liberally top with a mountain of grated cheddar cheese (or a vegan cheese alternative). Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is beautifully melted and bubbly, and the nachos are thoroughly warmed through. Serve immediately, garnished with a scattering of fresh coriander and accompanied by a side of creamy guacamole and cool sour cream (or their vegan counterparts) for dipping. For an extra kick, consider adding sliced jalapeños or black olives before baking!

Leftovers Variation 2: Hearty Stuffed Peppers

Give your chilli a healthy and visually appealing makeover with stuffed bell peppers. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F / Gas Mark 6). Carefully cut the tops off of your chosen bell peppers (any colour works beautifully!) and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Place the empty pepper halves cut-side up in a baking dish and roast them for approximately 20-30 minutes, until they start to soften but still hold their shape. While the peppers are roasting, mix your leftover veggie chilli with any leftover cooked rice you might have. Once the peppers are tender, remove them from the oven and fill each cavity generously with the chilli and rice mixture. Top each stuffed pepper with a sprinkle of grated cheddar cheese. Return them to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the filling is piping hot and the cheese is melted and golden. A sprinkle of fresh parsley or spring onions before serving adds a lovely finish.

Leftovers Variation 3: Classic Baked Potato Topping

This is arguably one of the simplest and most satisfying ways to enjoy leftover chilli – as a comforting baked potato topping. No elaborate instructions are truly needed! Simply bake your favourite potato (a fluffy Maris Piper or a sweet potato work wonderfully) until its skin is crispy and its interior is soft. While your potato bakes, gently warm your leftover chilli on the hob or in the microwave until it’s hot throughout. Once the potato is ready, slice it open, fluff up the flesh with a fork, and generously spoon the warm chilli over the top. Finish with a dollop of cooling sour cream and a sprinkle of grated cheese, or any of your preferred chilli toppings. It’s quick, easy, and incredibly fulfilling.

Leftovers Variation 4: Crispy Empanadas

Turn your leftover chilli into delightful, portable empanadas, perfect for lunchboxes or a light dinner. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F / Gas Mark 6). Roll out some shortcrust pastry thinly – using defrosted frozen pastry is a convenient time-saver. Use a bowl or a large round cutter (about 10-12 cm in diameter) as a template to cut out circles of pastry. Spoon a modest amount of your leftover chilli into the middle of each pastry circle, being careful not to overfill, and top with a small amount of grated cheddar cheese. Lightly brush the edges of the pastry circles with a beaten egg. Fold the pastry over the filling to create a semi-circle, then press the edges firmly with your fingers or a fork to seal. Refrigerate the assembled empanadas for about 20 minutes to help them hold their shape during baking. Before baking, cut a small slit in the top of each empanada to allow steam to escape, then brush them all over with beaten egg for a beautiful golden finish. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until they are puffed up and golden brown. These are delicious warm or at room temperature!

Leftovers Variation 5: Ultimate Chilli Mac ‘N’ Cheese

This is hands down my favourite way to use up leftover veggie chilli, combining two ultimate comfort foods into one decadent dish. Prepare your favourite macaroni cheese recipe from scratch, or use a convenient store-bought version. Once the macaroni cheese is cooked and creamy, simply stir through your warmed leftover veggie chilli until well combined. The flavours will meld beautifully! Transfer the mixture into an oven-proof dish, top generously with more grated cheese (a mix of cheddar and mozzarella works wonders for a gooey topping), and bake in a preheated oven until the cheese is golden and bubbling, and the entire dish is heated through. This fusion dish is incredibly satisfying and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, proving that leftovers can truly be extraordinary.

This post is sponsored by Iceland. We extend our sincere gratitude for supporting the brands that enable us to continue sharing our passion for food, creative recipes, and tips for a more sustainable kitchen. Thank you for making it possible to keep playing with food and occasionally making a happy mess!