Primal Frito Pie

 

I was in the mood for chili yesterday and after doing some experimenting with  Sweet Potato chips on Friday I got the great idea to make Frito pie. Now when I make Chili I sort of “wing it” as far as a recipe and use things I have laying around the kitchen, so I tried to write down this recipe as best I could. The best thing about winging it with chili is that every chili comes out new and excited but the bad part is, it’s hard for me to replicate a really good chili over again. This batch turned out smoky with a sweet taste from the squash and the andoullie sausage. Yum!

 

Chili:

1 pound Grass fed ground beef
2 links nitrate free Andoullie sausage, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 jalapeños, chopped and pitted
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch cilantro
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
2 14 oz cans  no salt added  organic diced tomatoes in juice
1 cup beef broth
Salt to taste
1 tbsp cumin
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
water

In a large pot heat 2 tbsp olive oil on medium high. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeños and sauté until the onions are translucent, about  10 minutes.
Meanwhile in a large skillet brown the ground beef and sausage until cooked. Set aside.
In a food processor, add 1 tbsp olive oil and cilantro. Blend until it becomes a thick paste and add water until it forms a saucy consistency. set aside.
Add the Mushrooms and squash to the pot with the onions and sauté for 3ish minutes or until the mushrooms have begun to shrink. Add the meat to the pot and let everything cook together for about 5 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Add cans of tomatoes and beef broth and cilantro sauce. add in all spices and stir. Bring to a boil and then set heat to low and let simmer for 1-2 hours. It depends on how think you want your chili. I wanted mine thick this time so I let it simmer for over 2 hours to reduce and thicken. ( If you don’t have beef broth, chicken broth or water would work just as well)

The Piece de Resistance

Putting it all together,
In your bowl, put a layer of chips, then pile on the chili, then put some more chips on top and a big dollop of guac…. mmmmmmm.  Garnish with chopped avocado, peppers, cilantro, lime wedges, cabbage…. whatever your little hear desires.