Frito Chili Pie

You’ll love the versatility of Frito Chili Pie! Spoon over corn chips, serve in a casserole, or take it on-the-go as a school lunch served in a chip baggie.

Easy Frito Chili Pie Recipe

Tomorrow’s the big day! My kids start back to school. Homework, sports schedules, school projects, running from meeting to meeting…it’s about to get real. These are the days when we need easy recipes, like this Frito Chili Pie. It’s an all-in-one kind of recipe with ground beef, veggies, a sprinkling of cheese and corn chips for a little fun and crunch.

How to Make Frito Chili Pie

This chili cheese pie has a ground beef & tomato base. I like to choose 85% lean ground beef to lessen the fat content but still keep good flavor. You’ll brown the ground beef and chopped veggies together until the beef is brown. Then add the tomato paste, water and spices to create a chili flavored sauce. Feel free to add in a little more chili powder or hot sauce if you’d like a little more spice. Note that this sauce doesn’t have any added sugar. I love that about this recipe!

Oh, and if you are worried about the kids not liking the veggies in this chili sauce, here’s a few hints:

• Chop the vegetables finely. The smaller they are, the less the kids will notice, right?
• The green peppers, celery and onion will soften as the sauce cooks. So no crunchy veggies!
• If your kids have issues with texture in their food, the corn chips and beef mask the any texture of the veggies. My kids would normally slyly pick out veggies from a sauce, but they didn’t with this dinner.

When we made this easy dinner idea, I served it the lazy way and scooped corn chips on a plate, then topped it with chili and cheese. Easy as pie. Frito Chili Pie to be exact.

Here’s a few other variations:

Frito Pie Casserole

Fill the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan with corn chips. Spoon the beef mixture over the top of the chips. Sprinkle with cheese, then bake under the broiler (on low) for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Watch it closely!

The Walking Taco

Looking for a school lunch idea? Place the warm chili sauce with a sprinkling of cheese in a thermos to keep it warm, then place it in the lunch bag along with a single-serving bag of corn chips. Your kiddo can make his/her own walking taco for lunch by opening the bag of chips and adding the beef and cheese. Fun and easy!

Frito Chili Pie

4.86 from 7 votes

You'll love the versatility of Frito Chili Pie! Spoon over corn chips, serve in a casserole, or take it on-the-go as a school lunch served in a chip baggie.

Servings 8

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

 

US Customary - Metric

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2/3 cup chopped celery
• 2/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 12 ounces tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• dash hot sauce
• corn chips
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

 

• In a saucepan over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, celery and pepper until the beef is completely cooked. Drain off the fat.
• Add the tomato paste, water and seasonings. Stir the mixture and allow it to reheat to a very low boil. 
• Cover the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.
• Serve over corn chips and sprinkle the top with cheddar cheese.
• To serve as a casserole: Spread a layer of corn chips in a 9x13 pan. Spoon the beef sauce overtop the corn chips. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil on low for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
• To serve with chip bags: Open a single-serving corn chip bag. Add the beef sauce and cheese. Use a spoon to mix well and serve immediately. 

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 959mg | Potassium: 759mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1165IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 311mg | Iron: 3.4mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Calories 535

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