Frito Pie Casserole Recipe
A delicious dish that comes together very quickly and is easy on the pocketbook. Perfect for the family or for your next social gathering!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Frito pie casserole is a guilty pleasure, I won’t lie. In our house, we ‘attempt’ to eat healthy most of the time.
Scratch that. It’s me that attempts (and fails) to eat healthy, Leigh does great. I am the sinner of the pair.
This casserole dish is not going to win any weight loss awards, but it will satisfy that crunchy, cheesy, fatty craving you might be having.
What’s great about this recipe is that it is cheap, it is delicious, and it will feed a crowd.
So, if you’re looking for something a little more waist-friendly, search our recipes for ‘healthy’. If you want to indulge yourself just a little bit … read on!
Ingredients Needed
The basic ingredients are pretty simple. You will need the following:
For the base– Ground beef and taco seasoning is the base. White onions and garlic add some much-needed aromatics.
The filling – Ro-tel, enchilada sauce, black beans, canned corn, and some chili powder added to the ground beef adds even more flavor and texture.
Cheeses – A Mexican blend or cheddar cheese brings the melty goodness.
Fritos – Can’t have Frito Pie without fritos!
Garnish – sliced jalapenos, green onions, sour cream, and cilantro, just to name a few. All optional, of course. Any of your favorite taco toppings work with this easy dinner recipe.
How To Make Frito Pie Casserole
This comes together so easily.
Grease a 9×13 baking dish and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef. Brown the beef and drain if needed.
Once almost browned, add the onions and continue cooking until the onions start to become translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Add the taco seasoning packet, chili powder, and a 1/4 cup of water and stir.
Next, add the Ro-tel, beans, enchilada sauce, and corn to the ground beef mixture and stir to combine well.
Continue cooking for 5 minutes.
Add half the Fritos to the bottom of the 9×13 baking dish evenly. Add 1/2 cup of cheese on top of the Fritos.
Next, add the meat mixture, then top with 1 cup of cheese. Add the remaining Fritos and top with the remaining cheese.
Bake uncovered for approximately 20 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5-7 minutes before serving.
That’s it, folks. It comes together so easily and is damn tasty.
While I have never done this, I heard that people will just dump the beef mixture into a Fritos bag and walk around eating it out of the bag. Sounds amazing, actually.
I think what makes this dish so tasty is that you’re getting all sorts of tastes and textures.
You get the seasoned beef, the beans, the sweet corn coming through, and the tanginess of the cheese. And, of course, the crunch of the Fritos themselves.
It all just goes well together. Of course, top it with whatever you like. I tossed some sliced jalapenos, green onions, and some sour cream on mine.
I also ate it directly from the baking dish … I don’t care. It was good!
This dish is perfect for serving up to the family as well as gatherings, and it doesn’t take much to fill the belly.
It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s not that expensive to prepare. But most importantly … it’s good!
Crunchy corn chips, deliciously seasoned beef, and lots of cheese make this walking taco casserole a dish you will want to make time and time again.
It’s an easy recipe to throw together, and when you want some comfort food, this hits it perfectly!
Tips And Variations
- This dish is perfect for adding your own flair. Top with black olives, green onions, cilantro, or even shredded lettuce.
- Sour cream, guacamole, pico de Gallo, and/or your favorite salsa add additional flavors.
- Chili beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans are all fine substitutes for black beans.
- Use ground turkey or ground chicken to save some calories.
- Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese would go great in this dish.
- Want a bit more heat? Add some diced jalapenos or green chiles to the meat mixture.
FAQs
Pretty much, yes. It’s the same ingredients, but a walking taco is eaten directly from the bag of Fritos, whereas Frito pie is served on a dish.
Yes. Prepare and assemble the casserole without the corn chips on top. Allow to cool to room temperature. Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freezer for up to 2 months.
More Tex-Mex Recipes to Try
Frito Pie Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground beef
- 1 Onion medium, diced
- 2 clove Garlic minced
- 1 package Taco seasoning
- 1 tbsp Chili powder
- 10 oz Ro-tel
- 10 oz Enchilada sauce
- 15 oz Black beans
- 1 cup Corn
- 2 cup Cheese
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef. Brown the beef and drain if needed. Once almost browned add the onions and continue cooking until onions start to become translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the taco seasoning packet, the chili powder, and a 1/4 cup of water and stir. Next add the Ro-tel, the beans, the enchilada sauce, and the corn to the skillet and stir to combine well. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.
- Add half the Fritos to the bottom of the 9×13 baking dish evenly. Add 1/2 cup of cheese on top of the Fritos. Next, add the beef mixture then top with 1 cup of cheese. Add the remaining Fritos and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake uncovered for approximately 20 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5-7 minutes before serving.