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Frito Pie

Name: Frito Pie
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 servings.
Cuisine: North America, Southwest
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; 1 medium onion, chopped; 2 cans (15 ounces each) Ranch Style beans (pinto beans in seasoned tomato sauce); 1 package (9-1/4 ounces) Frito corn chips; 2 cans (10 ounces each) enchilada sauce; 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; Thinly sliced green onions, optional

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Test Kitchen Approved

Total Time

Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

Makes

6 servings

Updated: Jan. 18, 2023

Frito pie is legendary in the Southwest for being spicy, salty and cheesy fabulous. Here’s my easy take on this crunchy classic. —Jan Moon, Alamogordo, New Mexico

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans (15 ounces each) Ranch Style beans (pinto beans in seasoned tomato sauce)
1 package (9-1/4 ounces) Frito corn chips
2 cans (10 ounces each) enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Thinly sliced green onions, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until beef is no longer pink and onion is tender, crumbling meat; drain. Stir in beans; heat through.
Reserve 1 cup corn chips for topping. Place remaining corn chips in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with meat mixture, enchilada sauce and cheese; top with reserved chips.
Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted. If desired, sprinkle with green onions.

Frito Pie Tips

Where did Frito pie originate?

This Frito pie casserole is inspired by the "walking taco", which is believed to have been invented at a New Mexico Woolworth’s drugstore in 1960.

What goes with Frito pie?

There are many dishes that go with Frito pie! You can’t go wrong with delicious toppings such as guacamole and roasted tomato salsa. For a cool, crisp salad, try Mexican fiesta salad or Southwest salad. If you want something a little more hearty, make Spanish rice or a corn and bean salad.

What else can you add to a Frito pie?

Frito pie is a flexible casserole that you can customize with other stir-ins such as minced green chilies, sliced black olives, diced tomatoes, chopped onion or frozen corn kernels.

Nutrition Facts

1 serving: 731 calories, 41g fat (14g saturated fat), 84mg cholesterol, 1733mg sodium, 54g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 8g fiber), 34g protein.