Chilli Con Carne Boat and Cheese Dippers

Today is the first day of National Sandwich Week so I’m kicking off with a part sandwich/part leftovers meal. When I make my Kid-Friendly Chilli Con Carne Recipe I use the leftovers to make this chilli boat and the kids feel like they’ve had totally different meals. If you can bake your own bread then I take my hat off to you, but if you’re a baking idiot, like me, then the bake at home loaves are ideal or you can buy a fresh, ready-baked loaf. This is such an easy meal to put together makes leftovers great fun.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 2 Adults & 2 Kids
leftover chilli con carne
1 loaf of ciabatta or baguette (fresh or bake at home)
as much grated cheese as you like

• Reheat the chilli con carne on a medium heat making sure it doesn’t catch and burn.
• If using a bake-at-home loaf, cook it according to the package instructions. Once it’s baked let it cool slightly then use a bread knife to cut the top third of the loaf off, horizontally. Cut an oval shape in the deeper bottom half leaving a centimeter edge then pull out the bread. (Let the removed bread dry out for a couple of days then pop in the food processor to make breadcrumbs or toss in oil then bake for 10 minutes to make croutons).
• Put the thinner top part of the bread on a baking sheet then sprinkle over with cheese and pop it under the grill until the cheese has melted.
• Spoon the warmed chilli into the cut out half of the bread and sprinkle over with chopped parsley if you like it. Once the cheesy half is ready cut it into sections then serve alongside the chilli boat which you can slice and serve at the table. Provide extra grated cheese and sour cream at the table.