Chilli con Charlie au Charlotte

It's a wonderful title for a recipe, it's a recipe I invented myself so I am ridiculously smug, and it was amazingly popular with the men in my life (father, husband and son).  I practically never come up with a good, original recipe so I am making the most of this. 

First make the Chilli con Charlie. 

2 large onions, 454g (1lb) minced beef, 1 415g can of baked beans (or nearest size to it), 1tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, heaped tsp oregano (substitute parsley, sage, mixed herbs or italian herbs if preferred), tbs of worcestershire sauce. 

All the above quantities are approximate and the seasonings can be definitely adjusted to taste. 

Roughly chop onions and soften in the minimum amount of oil.  Add the mince and cook until browned through.  Add the beans and seasonings and simmer for ten minutes.  Set aside to cool. 

Then the Charlotte bit (because I had bread, eggs and milk to use up and I knew that darling father and OH were wanting meat).  Approx half a loaf of sliced bread (or unsliced, but sliced to a medium thickness, butter or margarine, 500ml milk, 3 eggs, salt. 

You need about half a loaf of sliced bread.  Line a souffle dish with slices of buttered bread, butter side out, crusts cut off (I use scissors) over the base and sides.  Put half the chilli con charlie mixture in the lined dish.  Put in a layer of buttered bread (crusts off) and then top with a layer of buttered bread.  Put the second half of the chilli con charlie in and finally top with thickly buttered bread, butter side up. 

Beat the three eggs with a good pinch of salt and then beat in the 500ml of milk.  Pour over the bread and chilli con charlie and stand for ten minutes.  Cook for 40 minutes at Gas Mark 6 200degrees, covering the top loosely with a piece of foil for the first 20 minutes. 

My lot didn't want anything with it, but I would have put peas or a salad with it. 

I feel so smug I have posted a recipe.  Using Asda online costings and the cheapest versions of the ingredients (including the 454g bag of frozen mince that I used because I actually like that mince) the cost is around £3.20, plus butter/margarine and seasonings.  You could certainly cut down the meat to 3/4 of a lb without it being materially affected, and you could cut down the onion content if desired.  This is not the cheapest meal ever, but I have been asked insistently for a repeat of it.