Some pies are just better than others. Whether you’ve got a sweet tooth or a savory tooth, there’s a pie for you!
Sometimes it’s the filling that puts it over the top. Sometimes it’s the crust that sets it apart. And sometimes it’s the bag it’s served in that brings it all home.
Bag? Well yeah, it is National Corn Chip Day, and nothing celebrates the corn chip quite like a Frito Pie!
This classic American “dish” owes its roots to the Southwest where it’s said to have been created in the 1930s, but that’s still up for debate. What’s not, however, is the simplicity and deliciousness of it! And if you think there’s only one way to pie your Fritos, you’re in for a treat!
Check out our collection of Frito Pie recipes and get inspired to whip up a bag of cheesy, crunchy, chili goodness of your own.
Classic Frito Pie In The Bag (The way nature intended!)
Serves 1
Ingredients
- One 2-ounce bag of original Fritos
- Can of chili
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Diced white onion
Directions
(We suggest giving the bag a light crunching to break up the larger pieces, but not enough to make crumbs.)
- Take a knife or scissors and split the bag down the front from top to bottom.
- Ladle in a scoop of chili.
- Top with a mound of cheese and a heap of onions.
- Eat it straight out of the bag with a plastic fork, preferably atop a thick pile of paper napkins.
Frito Pie Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 can (15-ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15-ounces) corn, drained
- 1 can (10-ounces) red enchilada sauce
- 1 can (15-ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 bag (9 1/4-ounces) Fritos
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
- Optional: sour cream and guacamole to garnish
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and onion together over medium-high heat until cooked through. Drain the excess grease from the pan. Turn the heat to medium-low and season the meat with the salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Stir to coat. Add in the beans, corn, enchilada sauce, and tomato sauce. Stir to combine and cook until heated through. Remove from the heat.
- In a 9×13 baking dish, spread 2/3 of the bag of Fritos onto the bottom. Spread the meat mixture on top of the Fritos and top with the grated cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the mixture is bubbly.
- Garnish with the remaining Fritos and serve warm.
- Top with sour cream and guacamole if desired.
Gourmet Frito Pie
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground bison
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped into small pieces
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 4 cups organic beef stock
- 1 can (28 ounces) Muir Glen Fire Roasted organic diced tomatoes with juice
- 2 cans (15 ounces) organic pinto beans with juice
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano (Mexican works best)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoon ground ancho chile powder
- 1 Tablespoon chile powder (New Mexico chili powder)
- Salt and pepper
- Large bag of Fritos
- Toppings: Mexican blend grated cheese
- Sour cream
- Avocado slices
Directions
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in stock pot, add bison and cook until no pink remains.
- Remove bison from pot and set aside.
- Sauté onions and garlic in stock pot with 1teaspoon olive oil until translucent.
- Add bison back into the pot with the rest of the ingredients and spices.
- Let soup simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Place a handful of Fritos in each bowl, ladle soup on top and add toppings.
Fancy-Pants Frito Pie
Ingredients
- Olive oil as needed
- ½ cup yellow onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 1 poblano pepper, diced
- 1 can (4.5 ounces) green chilies, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 Tablespoon ancho chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 5 cups roasted chicken, shredded and the skin chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) white beans, drained (½ of the can blended into a puree)
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1 ear of corn, kernels cut off the cob
- Jumbo-Size Frito Corn Chips
- 2 cups Havarti, grated
- Stadium mustard
Directions
- To prepare chili, heat a large pot over medium heat.
- Drizzle a few glugs of olive oil and sauté onions, garlic, jalapeño, peppers, chilies and spices, cooking until tender.
- Add chicken and season with salt and pepper, then add chicken broth.
- Stir in beans, bean puree and a squeeze of lime.
- Allow to cook for about an hour, then add corn and another squeeze of lime juice.
- To plate, spread the Frito Scoops on a large platter, top with a squeeze of mustard, the chili, and a hefty sprinkling of cheese.
OR, TRY SOME OF OUR 3 MISTAKE CHILI MIX
