I love nachos. Always have, even as a kid. Not that weird nachos variation with tortilla chips with melted cheese on top, or canned, mushy refried beans on top of soggy corn chips - blah - but real nachos, with a big hearty bowl of chill meat, a salsa and guacamole topping my chips.
It was, in all honesty, heart-breaking when I was diagnosed as coeliac and tortilla chips for my precious nachos were declared off-limits.

On Paleo or Primal, we are often accused of being too "restrictive" when it comes to food. No grains, legumes or (in the case of Paleo) dairy. Well, I disagree completely.
I personally believe that we can still enjoy "junk" food in a Primal/Paleo way because - hell, why not? Thus, I constructed the basics of this recipe so coeliacs, Paleo and Primal people can still enjoy a good plea of something that reminisces what they used to eat, all the while being made up of entirely whole foods. Stuff that even your non-Paleo friends and family can enjoy.

This is the base recipe for what I lovingly call "Paleo Nachos". Hope those try it love it as much as I do.

INGREDIENTS:


For the chilli:
-Mincemeat of some kind (beef/chicken/lamb/pork/etc)
-Bacon strips (at least 2)
-Canned - or whole, mashed - tomatoes.
-Assorted vegetables (mushrooms/carrots/broccoli/nori/cauliflower/capsicum/etc)
-Assorted spices (Cumin/Paprika/Garlic-Pepper/Tumeric/Etc)
-Onion, diced (OPTIONAL - I like onion in my chill, though not everyone might)

For the crisps.
-Potato of preference (I find sweet potato is crispiest - white potatoes are better as fries)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Slice bacon strips (at least two into smaller pieces, then lay them out in a pan on top of a heated stove to fry.




2) Whilst your bacon is frying, slice your potatoes into very thin crisps and lay them out on a baking tray. Garnish with seasonings of choice (For me, salt and garlic pepper) and place in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius or 350 Farenheit for around 15-20 minutes.
IMPORTANT: Keep an eye on these chips throughout the entire cooking process; you don't want them to burn, else they taste horrible.



3) Now a good bit of bacon grease is coating the pan, toss your mince meat inside.



Stir it, break it apart and mush it around. Your making chill mince, not burgers.



4) Once a good deal of the meat is browned, you'll want to add your diced up onions, if you have them.



Now pour in your canned (or home-mashed) tomatoes. Stir the mixture and allow the meat to soak up all of the tomato juices. Due to the added liquid, the mixture will be cooking a lot slower, now. Leave it to simmer for a bit.
this is the optimum time to add your spices. My absolute favorites are ground cumin, paprika and turmeric, but really - add whatever you fancy.





5) While the chill mixture is simmering, slice your assorted veggies up - broccoli, carrots, mushroom and capsicum work brilliantly. Hell, I even like to toss in a few crushed nori-wraps into the mix, but that just because I'm weird and eat nori wraps with everything.
Remember - these veggies are adding bulk to the meal. They are, of course, totally optional, but they're a great way to get in your daily vitamins and nutrients and whatnot easily.



6) Once sliced, add all of your veggies to the mince. Mix it in nicely to get a good meat/veggie balance - or else a serving or two will be all vegetable with just that cruel, haunting taste of mince and bacon, and nobody wants that.
Also, stirring it altogether helps get the flavor of spice and meat all throughout the mix. That's a good thing.



7) GAH! The chips!
Please tell me you've been keeping an eye on the chips? When they look done - a bit brown, nice and crispy lookin' (don't be afraid to taste one ), take them out of the oven.


Remember to be careful not to burn yourself.

Dish the chips out into portions onto plates depending on how many people your feeding. Or, if you're like me (a greedy prick who practices IF), eat ALL THE CHIPS!


8) Now that chips are ready and your mix is no doubt done. Dish the chill up into portions for how many people your serving... or eat it all. Whatever works.
Any leftovers can be put in a tupperware for later.

I might need a bigger tupperware...


9)Now what you need to do is pretty simple. Put the chill mix on top of the chips.

Chilli + Chips
=


And there you have it! Eat as is, or...

10) The toppings.
Guacamole. Salsa. (If you eat dairy-->) Cheese. Sour cream or greek Yoghurt.

Need I say more?




Thank you for taking the time for reading this! I hope that my instructions are followable; should anyone have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm happy to help.

I enjoyed doing this, just for giggles - to help recreate an old food love in a Paleo/Primal way. If there's any other kind of "junk food" anyone would like me to attempt to Primalise, let me know, and I'll do my best.

If you do whip up a batch of Paleo nachos, let me know how it goes - post a pic, yeah? i'd love to see if this turns out well for others.



Enjoy