Frito Pie, a delicious family favorite casserole loaded with ground beef, salsa, beans, corn and of course Fritos topped with melted cheese!
Quite possibly the best part of this delicious recipe is topping with your favorite toppings like tomatoes, sour cream, and even jalapenos for an added kick. You will be licking your plate clean and going back for more.
Of course Frito Pie Casserole can be made and placed in a casserole dish, but why dirty a dish when you can use a well seasoned Cast Iron Skillet that only adds to the bold flavors. Mmmm yum!
Making Frito Pie is super simple with ingredients commonly found in your pantry it’s a “go to” recipe even on those busy nights when you forget to plan ahead.
What is Frito Pie?
For starters, Frito Pie isn’t really a pie in the traditional sense. There is no pie crust in this recipe! Save the pie crust for a sweet recipe.
Frito Pie Casserole is loaded with seasoned ground beef, beans, corn, salsa, and chili sauce. It’s spicy with a hint of sweet giving this recipe the PERFECT balance of flavors.
Ultimately Frito Pie is a comfort food. It’s a hearty casserole for young and old that’s timeless.
Spice it up or keep it mild. Anyway you like it will be a winner recipe.
If you want a litter heartier dish, don’t hesitate to serve with some white rice or even Spanish rice.
Just place rice on the plate and top with Frito Pie. It’s delish! I guarantee that no one will complain with full bellies either.
Frito Pie Ingredients
- Ground Beef- You can also use ground chicken or turkey.
- Corn– I used canned, but frozen or even fresh works too. If frozen, make sure it is thawed.
- Kidney beans– canned works great because they are already softened but make sure to drain and rinse.
- Salsa- Use your favorite! I do prefer a thick and chunky salsa or pico for this one.
- Chili sauce- I used Heinz Chili Sauce which is a thick tomato based sauce with a little seasoning. You can substitute chili sauce with plain tomato paste or sauce with a tablespoon of lemon juice. It is actually sweet and smoky rather than hot, like the name might indicate.
- Taco Seasoning– make your own or use a packet! One packet equals about 2 tablespoons.
- Garlic- For this recipe, I go bottled to save time, but it equals about 1 garlic clove fresh.
- Shredded Cheese– Pre-shredded cheese is such a time saver, but shredding fresh off the block will result in a creamier texture. Pepper jack, monterey jack and cheddar are my top preferences for this dish.
- Chili Flavored Fritos Corn Chips– or similar product.
From here it is really easy to make Frito Pie. Cook the ground beef until no longer pink, drain and add seasoning, corn and beans. You can use a cast iron skillet or baking dish.
Top with cheese and chips and bake until cheese is melted. Finish with your favorite garnishes. I love using hot sauce, fresh tomatoes, jalapeno slices and guacamole.
Make Ahead & Freezing
You can always cook up the ground beef ahead of time. The filling in this recipe is easily made even the day before and can easily be baked when ready to eat.
Just add the Frito chips and cheese when ready to bake and you will be good to go! I don’t suggest adding them ahead of time or they get soggy.
Quick Tip: Making Frito Pie is a favorite when glamping in the backyard! Easily baked up on the grill for some fun family memories.
Don’t worry if you don’t own a cast iron skillet. This recipe works great when cooked in your favorite skillet on the stove and placed in a casserole dish. But if you have a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, you will love the added bonus of a well seasoned cast iron.
You can freeze this casserole, but again, don’t add corn chips until you bake it. They get mushy and no one wants soggy chips!
Reheating Frito Pie
You can easily reheat Frito Pie in single servings in the microwave on medium power for a minute or two.
You can also heat larger portions in the oven, but keep a close eye and it never hurts to add more cheese!
More taco inspired recipes:
- CrockPot Taco Meat
- Walking Taco
- Spaghetti Squash Taco Boats
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- BEST Taco Recipes
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Zesty Frito Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup corn , canned or frozen and thawed
- 1 cup kidney Beans , rinsed and drained
- ¾ cup salsa
- ¾ cup chili sauce , such as Heinz
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic , minced (about 1 large clove)
- 2 cups cheese , shredded
- 3-4 cups Chili Flavored Fritos Corn Chips
Optional Toppings
- Diced Tomato
- Sour Cream
- Jalapenos
- Green Onion
- Rice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a cast iron skillet over medium/high heat brown ground beef and crushed garlic until fully cooked. Drain off excess fat.
- Add corn, beans, salsa, chili sauce and taco seasoning and stir, continuing to heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Top with shredded cheese and corn chips.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Remove and top with additional toppings.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the ratings or comments!
Nutrition
This is such a wonderful meal for the whole family! Comforting and delicious!
This casserole sounds incredibly delicious! I love how tasty it sounds and easy enough to through together.
My family would absolutely love this! Definitely making this soon. 🙂
Ohhh yum! This reminds me of walking tacos but so much yummier, can’t wait to try this!
I love how easy this is! Definitely a new favorite!