Gentle Beef Nachos

Name: Gentle Beef Nachos
Prep time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 150 g corn chips; 400 g beef mince; 1 tbsp garlic-infused oil; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp paprika (sweet); 1/2 tsp ground coriander; 30 g tomato paste; 150 ml onion-free stock (or other low-FODMAP stock); 1/4 tsp salt; 120 g tasty cheese, grated; 100 g avocado, sliced, to serve

By Robin Tasker · Serves 4 · 25 min

Pouch load

2.9/10

OK in moderation

Flavour

6.3

Punchy

BlandBam

Nutrition

Very nutritious

Light on (tap to add):

Fibre & prebiotics +

Oat bran Rolled oats Banana (firm)Carrot

Omega-3 fats +

Salmon Sardines Canned tuna

Three lenses: how gentle on the gut, how nourishing, how tasty — because gentle isn't the same as healthy. How the scores work →

Dinner Mexican Low-FODMAP Egg-free Soy-free Nut-free Fish-free Shellfish-free Sesame-free

Warm corn chips loaded with gently spiced beef and melted cheese, topped with soft avocado — all the nacho fun without the onion, garlic and chilli heat. Pile on the extras for everyone else.

Nachos are pure Friday-night food, and I wasn't about to give them up. The trick is in the seasoning: shop mixes and the usual onion, garlic and chilli are what tend to bite back, not the corn chips and cheese themselves.

So this version spices the beef with cumin, sweet paprika and coriander — warm and moreish, not hot — and uses garlic-infused oil and a little tomato paste instead of onion and garlic. Melt over cheese, top with soft avocado, and the loud stuff (jalapeños, salsa, beans) goes on at the table for whoever wants it.

Ingredients

Serves

150 g corn chips
400 g beef mince
1 tbsp garlic-infused oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika (sweet)
1 /2 tsp ground coriander
30 g tomato paste
150 ml onion-free stock (or other low-FODMAP stock)
1 /4 tsp salt
120 g tasty cheese, grated
100 g avocado, sliced, to serve

Method

Heat the garlic-infused oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the beef mince and brown it well, breaking it up.
Stir in the cumin, paprika and ground coriander and cook for a minute until fragrant.
Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute, then pour in the stock and add the salt. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, until thick.
Heat the oven to 200°C (or use the grill). Spread the corn chips over an oven tray, spoon the beef over, and scatter with the grated cheese.
Bake or grill for 5–8 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
Top with sliced avocado and serve straight away.

Gentler swaps

Corn chips are naturally gluten-free, but they're fried, so they carry a bit of fat and crunch — a smaller handful keeps the pouch score down. Warming them in the oven (rather than piling on raw) softens them slightly too.

Heat: sweet paprika gives colour and warmth without chilli heat. Keep any actual chilli for the side, not the base.

Stock & garlic: our onion-free, garlic-free stock and garlic-infused oil season the beef without onion and garlic solids.

For the family

Cook once — your gentle version, plus how to pep it up for everyone else.

Build the gentle tray, then let everyone load their own corner. Put out bowls of jalapeños, salsa, drained tinned black beans, sour cream and chopped raw onion for the table — all the things that'd usually catch you out, kept off your share. A dash of hot sauce over their portion and they're sorted.

Scores are modelled estimates, not medical advice. Everyone's gut is different, and tolerance changes over time. Reintroduce foods one at a time, and follow your own medical team's advice.