Help! No hob!

thriftykitty

I'm hoping you kind OSer's can help me. The hob on our cooker broke yesterday and our landlord has ordered a new one but we have no idea how long it's going to take to get fixed.
I have mince in the fridge that needs using up preferably today, but could be used tomorrow. My meal plan had me making chilli with it as I have half a can of kidney beans to use up, too, but with no hob I don't know what to do with it. Can you make chilli in the oven i.e. without browning the meat in a frying pan first? If not what else could I make with it? Can you make shepards pie just using the oven?
Hope this doesn't sound too stupid!
Thank you!

RAS

Yes
You can make chilli in the oven. I would be inclined to put the onions, oil and the meat in a shallowish dish and sort of roast it a bit at a high temperature, give an odd stir until a few bits catch, then turn the heat down add all the other ingredients and cook slowly. You could make the mince for the other pie at the same time and cook the potatoes for the mash.

ifonlyitwaseasier

ok make them into meatbals add your normal chilli stuff into the oven pan with them and they should be ok, about 45 mins will have them delish!
maybe mix up your spices with tinned toms before adding tho

quintwins

yeah you could make chilli in the oven (and homemade wedges), don't think u could make sherperds pie tho unles syou buy instand/readymade mash, you would make meatloaf aswell or homemade burgers

BitterAndTwisted

I'd do exactly what RAS suggested. I'm in the same boat hob-wise at the moment and made soup in the oven at the weekend. it turned out just fine. Now, if only I had a landlord to fix or replace my hob I'd be in clover, as it is I've got to find the money from somewhere else in my skinny budget to pay a tradesman to come out somehow, sometime.

McKneff

I have a smallish kitchen and I havent had a hob for years.

I have an oven, steamer, microwave, slow cooker, george foreman and a sandwich maker, so never felt the need for a hob but i do have more work top space.

beemuzed

Hope you don't have to wait too long before it's sorted thriftykitty - nor you BitterAndTwisted. Somehow I think I'd manage better with a hob rather than oven IYSWIM. I'm sure pre-browning is only to make it look better and not essential. If it goes on for some time I guess you'll be able to plan for using the oven - or do you have either a microwave or Slow-Cooker? Thinking either might be cheaper to use than the oven. Best of luck to you both anyway.

BitterAndTwisted

Actually, I think pre-browning is essential when cooking that sort of meat or it could end up looking and tasting like old-fashioned school-dinners.

I've just had a look on the net and it looks like the call-out charges for a repair might end up costing more than the cooker is worth. It's vintage Belling and I have reason to suspect that it's even older than I am. I feel like I'm on the horns of a dilemma here

McKneff

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Actually, I think pre-browning is essential when cooking that sort of meat or it could end up looking and tasting like old-fashioned school-dinners.

I've just had a look on the net and it looks like the call-out charges for a repair might end up costing more than the cooker is worth. It's vintage Belling and I have reason to suspect that it's even older than I am. I feel like I'm on the horns of a dilemma here

oooh, school mince and dumplings were just the best when i went.

Followed by bakewell tart and custard........pure bliss.

debbym

Browning meat is for the flavour rather than the look of the thing. Boiled meat (which is what it would be if you just bunged it in the oven and heated it through) tastes bad IMHO - this is why I brown meat before I put it in the slow cooker too.
If you use a metal tin in the oven you should be able to brown the meat and onions as already suggested. Don't use ceramic or glass though or it won't work.;)
You can use the oven to cook potatoes for pie toppings if you bake them and then scoop out the insides and use like normal (no peeling or washing up pans either win-win!)
Hope you get it sorted soon.

valk_scot

How about buying a single electric ring, if the repair is likely to take some while? Something like this....I'm sure they used to sell them in Argos too but I can't find it atm.