I was first introduced to Frito pie casserole back when The Girl was in college. I was there visiting one day and we ended up going to her cafeteria for lunch and Frito pie casserole was the special of the day.
At first I was like ewwww, that sounds gross, but all the kids were lining up for it so I decided it give it a try and HOLY COW MAN… it was so good, I went back for thirds!!! I had no idea Frito pie casserole was a thing. But apparently it is and I wish I had known about it sooner because I totally would have been making this as a fun dinner a few times a year for my kids when they were younger
If you are even a mild fan of Fritos, you need to try this recipe. We all loved it, and I’m sure you will too.
It kinda makes me wonder what else I’ve been missing out on all these years. 😉
Have a great day everyone,
~Mavis
Ingredients
5 cups Fritos {a 9.5 ounce bag of Fritos works perfectly}
{2} 15 ounce cans chili {I used Stagg Silverado Beef Chili with Beans}
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chives or green onions, chopped
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 13×9 baking dish.
Place 5 cups of Fritos in the baking dish. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of cheese over the top of the chips. Spoon the chili over the top of the cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese over chili and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is bubbly and the chili has been warmed. Remove from oven, top with chopped tomatoes and chives or green onions. {sour cream and/or guacamole might be a good addition too}.
Serve warm.
This dish feeds 4 hungry adults. It could probably feed 6, but this was SO GOOD, we all wanted seconds! 😉
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Frito Pie Casserole
Ingredients
5 cups Fritos {a 9.5 ounce bag of Fritos works perfectly}
{2} 15 ounce cans chili {I used Stagg Silverado Beef Chili with Beans}
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chives or green onions, chopped
Instructions
Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 13×9 baking dish.
Place 5 cups of Fritos in the baking dish. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of cheese over the top of the chips. Spoon the chili over the top of the cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese over chili and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is bubbly and the chili has been warmed. Remove from oven, top with chopped tomatoes and chives or green onions. {sour cream and/or guacamole might be a good addition too}.
Serve warm.
Linda Lou says
When I lived in NM I would frequent this little brewery in downtown ABQ. They had great beer but limited food service. They did however serve frito pie. They use those individual snack sized frito bags and simplify the process and served it in right in the bag, complete with chili and cheesey goodness. Anyway I can get it, frito pie is delish!
Sue R says
Thank you! This will be dinner tonight!
Deborah R says
Growing up we were always thrilled when Frito pie was on offer, usual in concessions type situations, always in the little bags. I hadn’t thought of it in years…and now I can’t stop. I might get the hub’s to think it’s dinner if I made it as a casserole.
jillyk says
My mom started making us “American” tostadas back in the 70’s. She loved the authentic tostadas our neighbor would make but hated the mess, so one day she used fritos. We kids and the neighbors loved them.
Add to your plate: handful of fritos…the larger the handful the larger the tostada so go easy. Then add cooked, ground meat, refried beans, shredded cheese (back in the 70’s we did it ourselves, so spoiled now, lol), salsa, shredded lettuce and sour creme. Great, simple and quick meal.
Patti says
This was in a cookbook my son brought home from elementary school. A favorite of children everywhere! It is also easy to serve directly in the bag on a camping trip.
kcb says
Being from Dallas, Texas, the home of Frito Lay, I know Frito Pie! Your other commenters are correct. True Frito Pie is served in a the bag split down the front. Texans trace it back to 1930s when Daisy Doolin, mother of Fritos’ inventor, served it.
Stephanie in Utah says
One of my mom’s classic recipes is similar, but it’s got a bread crust instead of chips on the bottom. It’s very similar to this recipe, but I use homemade pizza dough instead of a can of biscuits. http://themacandcheesechronicles.com/2012/09/13/taco-biscuit-pie/
Kathy says
Since I first saw this in your column, my husband and I have been hooked. I make a big pot of chili and freeze portions of it. Makes for a quick and tasty supper.
Lynn says
Mavis, I tend to want to freeze everything! Have you had any experience with freezing this meal?
Mavis Butterfield says
No. I don’t think Fritos would freeze well.
Sarah Sillz says
Hi Mavis!
Are you sure that 350* isn’t a typo? I made this tonight and started out with 15 minutes and ended up adding another 10 mins then anther 10 mins….even then I wasn’t sure if it was as completely hot as it should have been but I had to take it out to feed that kids at that point.
Mavis Butterfield says
Hi Sarah,
We made this last night and I put mine in a pre-heated oven at 350* for 15 minutes and the cheese was melted and the chili warmed.