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    Cincy Shopper / Recipes / Main Dish

    Frito Pie Casserole

    March 9, 2021 by Jen Cincyshopper Leave a Comment

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    Frito Pie Casserole is a melty mix of corn chips, homemade chili, and cheese! An easy recipe that’s great as a bake or as a “walking taco.”

    This dish is a Southern favorite- and it’s easy to tell why! Delicious Tex-Mex flavors with that tasty mix of chili and cheese and the right amount of crunch from the Fritos.

    Baked Frito Pie

    Frito Pie Casserole

    If you love delicious, melty casseroles, today you’re in for a treat! There’s plenty of fine casserole recipes out there on the web, but this Southern favorite in a more “Tex-Mex” style is one of my new favorites! You might see where this is going: if you’ve never tried Frito Pie before, this is your chance to see what all the fuss is about.

    Closeup of Frito Pie Casserole with toppings

    This Frito Pie can be made in a casserole style- like we’ve done today- or served as a sort of “walking taco.” Whichever way you serve it up, the flavors are where this recipe shines!

    Text on image Frito Pie

    It’s a simple mix of homemade chili, a two-cheese blend, and some corn chips for a bit of crunch. Simple ingredients but they all come together perfectly in this Frito Bake!

    Text on image Frito Pie

    This casserole would be great as an easy weeknight dinner, an interesting spin on taco night, or as a fun dish to bring to a potluck or picnic! Wherever you serve it, it’s certain to be a big hit- we know you’re gonna love it.

    Text on image Frito Pie

    Liked this recipe? Try these Tex-Mex-inspired dishes next!

    • If you liked this Frito Pie served up in a bag, you’ll enjoy our Walking Tacos Recipe as well. This classic fair food favorite is perfect for picnics and grillouts. Simple to make, tastes great, and easy to clean up!
    • For all those delicious Taco Tuesday flavors, make up some Taco Casserole. What’s better than a nice, melty mix of beef, beans, and cheese? This easy dinner idea is a great way to mix things up on your next taco night!
    • The big chili fans are going to love our recipe for Chili Pot Pie Casserole. This dish is easy to make with canned chili, crescent roll dough, and plenty of cheddar cheese! Makes for a great weeknight meal or for feeding a big family.

    Text on image Frito Pie

    Ingredients for Frito Taco Casserole

    • Fritos – Obviously…
    • Ground Beef
    • Onion
    • Rotel Tomatoes – Or any other canned diced tomatoes and chiles.
    • Tomato Sauce – We happened to have this El Pato hot tomato sauce, which brought a bit of extra heat.
    • Chili Powder
    • Garlic Powder
    • Kidney Beans
    • Cheese – We used a blend of Monterey jack and some extra sharp cheddar.
    • Toppings – We topped our casserole with some sliced jalapeno, sliced green onions, and some sour cream.
    In a pinch, you could use a couple of cans of Hormel Chili instead of making your own.

    Ingredients for Frito Taco Casserole

    How to make Frito Pie

    We’ve kept our Frito Casserole recipe very simple. Here’s all you’ll need to do…
    1. Make some chili using your beef, onion, tomatoes, sauce, powders, and beans.
    2. Layer your casserole ingredients in a dish before baking for about 10 minutes.
    3. Top your finished casserole with some extra fritos, remaining onions, and any other preferred toppings.

    Onions and ground beef in pan

    Our Frito Pie is going to need some chili- and plenty of it. We could used canned chili, but we’ll make some chili from scratch! To start, brown some ground beef and half of your onion, chopped, in a large pan.

    Spices added to cooked and drained ground beef

    Once browned through, drain off any excess fat and turn the heat to medium-low. Add in your tomatoes, sauce, garlic & chili powders, and kidney beans.

    Beans, tomatoes and sauce added to ground beef

    Let those simmer together for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. After that, your chili’s ready! For serving in a casserole, first layer about 5 oz of your Fritos in the bottom of a greased 13×9 dish.

    Fritos added to baking dish

    Top those with some cheese…

    Cheese added to top of Fritos

    Then top with your homemade chili…

    Chili layer added to the top

    Add more cheese on top of that…

    Final cheese layer added to ground beef casserole

    …And now it’s time to bake! Transfer your casserole to an awaiting 300 degree oven and let bake until melty and bubbly.

    Baked chili casserole

    All that’s left is to top our Frito Pie. At least top with some more Fritos and the other half of your onion.

    Frito corn chips on top of chili bake

    If using them, also top with your jalapeno, green onion, and some sour cream. Once topped, scoop out a portion and enjoy!

    Baked Frito Pie with toppings

    More Pie Toppings

    • Salsas or Hot Sauces
    • Sliced Black Olives
    • Maybe some Homemade Guacamole?

    Frito Pie Casserole on a spoon

    How to make Frito Pie in a bag

    Prep for the bagged Frito Pie is even simpler than the casserole! Split open your Fritos bag- we did ours from the side- and cover the Fritos inside with the chili, cheese, and all the toppings. It certainly won’t be as melty and gooey as the baked casserole, but all the flavors are still there and it’s just as enjoyable! Made this way, it’s a nice variation on a Walking Taco- if you’ve ever had one of those.

    Frito Pie Walking Taco in a bag

    RECIPE
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    Frito Pie

    Frito Pie is a melty mix of corn chips, homemade chili, and cheese! An easy recipe that's great as a casserole bake or as a "walking taco."
    Course Appetizer, Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Keyword Frito Casserole, Frito Pie, Walking Tacos
    Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 35 minutes minutes
    Servings 6
    Calories 614kcal
    Author Jen CIncyshopper

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb Ground Beef
    • 1 Onion diced and divided
    • 10 oz Diced Tomatoes and Chiles
    • 7 oz Tomato Sauce
    • 1 tbsp Chili Powder
    • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
    • 15 oz Kidney Beans drained
    • 6 oz Fritos
    • 4 oz Cheddar Cheese shredded
    • 4 oz Monterey Jack Cheese shredded
    • 1 Jalapeno Pepper sliced (optional topping)
    • 2 Green Onions sliced (optional topping)
    • 2 tbsp Sour Cream optional topping

    Instructions

    • In a large skillet over medium heat add ground beef and 1/2 of the onion.
    • Cook until no pink remains.
    • Drain excess grease and reduce heat to medium-low.
    • Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, and kidney beans.
    • Simmer stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes.
    • You can either serve as a casserole or in individual bags.

    If serving in bags:

    • Split each and cover with chili, shredded cheese, remaining diced onions, and any optional toppings.

    If serving in a casserole:

    • Preheat oven to 300.
    • Grease a 13x9" casserole dish.
    • Place about 5 ounces of Fritos in a layer at bottom of the dish.
    • Sprinkle with 1/2 of each of the cheeses.
    • Top with the chili.
    • Layer with the remaining cheeses.
    • Bake for 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
    • Top with 1 ounce of Fritos, remaining diced onions, and any optional toppings.

    Notes

    In a hurry, use 2 cans of Hormel Chili instead of making your own.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 614kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 630mg | Potassium: 841mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1019IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 393mg | Iron: 5mg
    Have you made this recipe?Snap a pic and show us on Instagram or Facebook.Tag me @Cincyshopper or #cincyshopper.

    Long Pin Collage Frito Pie An Easy Recipe

    Long Pin Collage Frito Pie An Easy Recipe

    Long Pin Collage Frito Pie An Easy Recipe

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    Filed Under: Main Dish

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    Hi, I'm JEN! A lover of food and frugal living. A wife to a wonderful hubby, momma to 5 fun kiddos. Welcome to my blog. You will find REAL TASTY RECIPES. Be sure to subscribe to my email list and follow me on social media, to never miss a recipe.

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