Frito Pie

My friend at myfarmhousekitchen asked me if I had a recipe for Frito Pies. I hadn't thought about them in years. We spent a lot of time in Sante Fe over the years and the first thing my kids wanted when we hit town was to go to the plaza and buy a Frito Pie. I decided so surprise the Blog Tech and make them for him. He was very happy!


First you need some good chili and after years of making very complicated chilies, I have settled on making this recipe and only this one. And it is easy.

Start by sauteing a large onion in a bit of oil.


Add some diced Poblano peppers.


Add some red bell pepper.


Add some diced celery.


Then add ground beef. I used about 2 pounds.


Add 3 tablespoons of cumin, 3 tablespoons of granulated garlic and 4 tablespoons of a chili seasoning.


I use CaBoom because it is simply the best. You can order it online.


I add about 3 tablespoons of spicy chili powder.


And the same amount of mild chili powder.


Add a large can of crushed tomatoes.


Then add about 3 cups of tomato juice.


I was out of all beans except black ones so that is what I used. 2 cans.


Add 2-3 tablespoons of black pepper, 3 teaspoons of sea salt and 3 tablespoons of oregano.


Add 4 tablespoons of sugar.


It needs a little kick so add some hot sauce. I LOVE Gator Hammock. It can also be ordered online, just google it.


This cooks for 1 hour in a 350 degree oven.


Put some of the chili in a big bowl and top it with shredded cheddar cheese and diced onions. Surround it with Fritos and serve. I used Frito Scoops.


This is great party fare. When my kids were small, I would use individual bags of Fritos, open them and drizzle chili into the bag, top it with the cheese and onions and serve it with a plastic spoon. This was a great hit at their birthday parties.