A pot of chilli waits for the trick-or-treaters

Halloween evening in our house runs on a timetable that nobody keeps. Some children want to go out early, some late, the grown-ups take turns at the door, and dinner has to be ready whenever anyone comes in hungry. So the day before, I make a big pot of chilli. It tastes better the next day, it waits patiently on a low heat, and everyone can fill a bowl when they are ready.

My chilli is mild, because children eat it too. Grown-ups add chilli flakes or hot sauce at the table.

For six people I use 500 g of beef mince, two onions, two cloves of garlic, a red pepper, two tins of chopped tomatoes, a tin of kidney beans, a tablespoon of tomato purée, two teaspoons of ground cumin, a teaspoon of smoked paprika, a teaspoon of mild chilli powder and a little oil.

I chop the onions and pepper and soften them in the oil in a large heavy pan for about ten minutes, then add the garlic and the spices for a minute. Then the mince goes in. I break it up and let it brown properly, in batches if the pan is small, until there is no pink left. Browning gives the deep, savoury taste. I wash my hands and the board after handling the raw mince.

In go the tomatoes, the tomato purée and half a tin of water. I bring it to the boil, then turn the heat down, put the lid half on and let it simmer gently for about 45 minutes, stirring now and then. In the last 15 minutes I add the drained and rinsed kidney beans. Tinned beans are already cooked, so they only need heating through. I taste and add salt at the end.

Making chilli a day ahead is safe if it is cooled and stored properly, and this part matters. A big pot of hot stew cools slowly, and bacteria can grow while it sits warm. So I divide the chilli into two or three shallow containers so it cools faster, and I get it into the fridge within two hours. In the fridge it keeps for up to two days.

On the evening itself, I reheat the chilli in a pan until it is steaming hot all the way through, stirring so the middle gets hot too. If I check with a thermometer, the middle should reach 70°C and stay there for two minutes. Then I turn it down to the lowest heat and keep it there, hot, with the lid on. I do not let it sit lukewarm on a cold hob all evening. I reheat only the amount we will eat, and anything reheated once does not go back into the fridge for a second time.

We eat it with rice, baked potatoes or warm tortilla wraps, and put out bowls of grated cheese, plain yoghurt, chopped coriander and a few lime wedges, so everyone builds their own bowl. It is a good meal for a cold night: warm, filling, and not sweet.

Chilli also freezes well. If I make more than we need, I freeze portions on the first day, once cooled, and use them within three months. I defrost them in the fridge overnight and reheat until steaming hot.

Mild beef chilli. Serves 6. About 1 hour 15 minutes. You need 500 g beef mince, 2 onions, 2 garlic cloves, 1 red pepper, 2 tins chopped tomatoes, 1 tin kidney beans, 1 tbsp tomato purée, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp mild chilli powder and oil. Soften the onion and pepper, add the garlic and spices, then brown the mince. Add the tomatoes, purée and water and simmer for 45 minutes, adding the beans for the last 15. Cool fast, chill within 2 hours, eat within 2 days, reheat until steaming hot.

What do you cook for a busy Halloween evening?