This frito pie casserole is a fun way to satisfy a comfort food craving, even when you are short on time. In this recipe, a quick beef chili is topped with cheese and corn chips making a delicious dinner the whole family will enjoy.
This easy casserole is made with convenience ingredients like canned tomatoes, canned beans and beef broth. Then, fresh items like onions, garlic and lots of spices are added to give it a homemade taste. It’s a happy balance that yields a delicious dinner the whole family will enjoy.
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Recipe tips
Prepare a seasoning mix instead of adding each ingredient to the pot. You’re less likely to have a mishap like way too much seasoning ending up in the chili. Plus, you’re not standing over a hot pot trying to measure out spices.
Use lean ground beef to make this quick chili to avoid ending up with too much oil. That said, the fat content in ground beef can be unpredictable. If you do end up with too much oil, there’s an easy way to get rid of it.
To remove excess oil after browning, pile the ground beef to one side of the pot and tip it slightly so the oil pools opposite the meat. Use a large spoon to scoop most (or all) of it out. Then level the pot, place it back over the heat and continue with the recipe.
Don’t oversalt the chili because the corn chips will be plenty salty.
Shred the cheese by hand instead of buying pre-shredded. Packaged cheese contains cellulose and (sometimes) potato starch added in to prevent caking and they prevent them from melting smoothly. The cheese melts better when you shred it yourself.
Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet just in case it bubbles over.
Ingredients
- Spices – Chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper and cayenne pepper add flavor and spice.
- Aromatics – Onions and garlic add even more flavor.
- Oil – Use your favorite neutral oil with a high smoke point (we use canola oil).
- Ground Beef – Use lean ground beef to avoid having to much oil in the chili. We use ground sirloin.
- Pantry – Canned beef broth, diced tomatoes and red beans make this chili convenient and easy to make.
- Corn Chips – We used Fritos brand corn chips.
- Cheese – For this frito pie we go with a combination of Monterey jack and cheddar, but you can switch it up and use Colby jack or other combination as long as it goes well with Southwestern style food. The important thing is to shred your own cheese so that it melts smoothly.
- Garnish – Green onions, sour cream, chopped cilantro, sliced jalapenos, and hot sauce all make great additions to the frito casserole.
You will also need:
- Cooking spray – to prevent sticking and easy clean-up
- Casserole dish – we used a 2.3 quart that’s 11×7 inch
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Next, add the garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Raise the heat to medium-high, add the ground beef and sprinkle with the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper and cayenne pepper (if using). Stir well.
Arrange the beef into a layer and cook for 3 minutes. Stir well and break-up any large pieces. Arrange it into a layer again, cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until browned and any liquid rendered has cooked away.
Add the beef broth, diced tomatoes and red beans to the pot. Stir well.
Bring the liquid to a boil (it will take about 4-5 minutes to start boiling), then lower the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer the chili for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Uncover the pot and cook for an additional 10-20 minutes or until the chili thickens. Stir it often, especially as it starts to thicken. When the chili is done take it off the heat and let it cool off a little so it’s not simmering and steaming when you work with it.
Build the casserole
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Lightly spray the bottom of a casserole dish with cooking spray. Arrange 1½ cup of the corn chips on the bottom of the dish.
- Add approximately half of the chili on the corn chips.
- Sprinkle the top of the chili with 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
- Add the remaining chili.
- Top with 2 cups of the corn chips.
Bake the frito pie casserole for 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese. Bake for another 1-2 minutes until the cheese melts. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving to let it set.
Storing
If you want, make the chili 1-2 days ahead to save some time on a busy weeknight. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Heat through before using. Do not build the casserole until you are ready to bake because the chips will get soggy.
Store leftover frito pie casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
You may also like:
- Chili Cornbread Casserole
- Baked Ziti with Sausage
- Ham and Cheese Casserole
- Baked Spaghetti
- Southwestern Pasta
Frito Pie Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper to taste
- Pinch of Cayenne Pepper optional
- 1 tablespoon Oil use a flavorless oil with a high smoke point (we use canola oil)
- 1 Medium Onion finely diced
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 pound Lean Ground Beef we used ground sirloin
- 2 cups Beef Broth
- 1 (14-14.5) ounce can Diced Tomatoes
- 1 (15-16) ounce can Red Beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese divided (hand shredded is best)
- 3½ cups Corn Chips divided – like Fritos brand (about 6-7 ounces)
- Sliced Green Onions for garnish – optional
- Sour Cream for serving – optional
Instructions
- You will also need: Cooking spray, Casserole dish (roughly) 2.3 quart that’s 11×7 inch
- Prepare a seasoning mix: add the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper and cayenne pepper (if using) to a small bowl. Stir to combine well.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and immediately add the ground beef and sprinkle with the prepared seasoning mix. Stir well to combine the beef with the onions and spices.
- Arrange the beef into a layer and cook for 3 minutes.
- Stir well and break-up any large pieces. Arrange it into a layer again, cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until browned and any liquid rendered has cooked away.
- Add the beef broth, diced tomatoes and red beans to the pot. Stir well.
- Bring the liquid to a boil (it will take about 4-5 minutes to start boiling), then lower the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer the chili for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Uncover the pot and cook for an additional 10-20 minutes or until the chili thickens and is saucy, not soupy. How long this takes depends on how much liquid is left after the initial cooking time. Keep an eye on it and stir it often, especially as it starts to thicken. As a reference we simmered ours 12 minutes.
- Taste the chili and add salt if needed, but keep in mind that corn chips are salty. They will add to the overall saltiness of the dish. As a reference we did not add extra to ours.
- When the chili is done take it off the heat and let it cool off a little so it’s not simmering and steaming when you work with it.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Lightly spray the bottom of a casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Arrange 1½ cup of the corn chips on the bottom of the dish.
- Add approximately half of the chili on the corn chips.
- Sprinkle the top of the chili with 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
- Add the remaining chili.
- Top with 2 cups of the corn chips.
- Bake the frito casserole for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Bake for another 1-2 minutes until the cheese melts.
- Let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving to let it set.
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