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Full of flavor and layered with Fritos, meat, and cheese this Frito Pie Casserole is a great weeknight dinner that will satisfy and feed the whole family!
I love Fritos, they are one of my favorites snacks! The perfect saltiness that you just cannot get enough of, but I also love using them in recipes. Especially this Frito Pie Casserole.
Layered with meat, cheese, and Fritos this casserole is not lacking in flavor and makes the perfect easy weeknight dinner.
Our whole family asks for this and when I’m in a hurry this is a great recipe to throw together. Using a bunch of spices to really bring out the flavor, everything just comes together so well.
Done in around an hour this is one of those recipes that are great pretty much for any time! It is on our menu rotation monthly and has been forever.
No weird ingredients really make this kid-friendly and they will dig in and be begging for more! At least that is what our experience has been here, you’ll have to try for yourself and be the judge.
This Frito Pie Casserole is one of those recipes that we have been making for the longest time and that we have just come to love from the first time we have made it.
Some of my other favorite casserole recipes we have on our site include: Mexican Rice Casserole, Crack Chicken Noodle Casserole and Lazy Day Lasagna.
Jump to:
- WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- HOW TO MAKE FRITO PIE CASSEROLE:
- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
- IS THIS SPICY?
- CAN I USE ANOTHER MEAT?
- WHAT KIND OF CHEESE IS BEST?
- DO THE FRITOS GET SOGGY?
- ANY ADDITIONS?
- ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
- HOW TO STORE:
- DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Easy Frito Pie Casserole Recipe
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- With easy ingredients, this comes together quickly.
- This makes a nice large batch, perfect for a family meal.
- You can switch up the spices to your liking.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Garlic
- Chili powder
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Ground cumin
- Chipotle powder
- Tomato paste
- Tomato sauce
- Beef stock
- Fritos
- Cheddar cheese
- Sour cream, for serving
- Sliced scallions, for serving
HOW TO MAKE FRITO PIE CASSEROLE:
- In a large skillet, brown and crumble the meat over medium-high with the onions. Break up the meat until there is no pink left and the onions appear translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Drain any excess fat.
- Add the chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cumin, chipotle powder, and tomato paste.
- Cook for 2 minutes, stirring it all together until combined.
- Add the tomato sauce and beef stock, stir until combined.
- Bring to a simmer and cover, simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add half of the crushed Fritos into the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish.
- Add half of the chili evenly over the Fritos.
- Top with half of the cheese. Repeat with another layer.
- Cover with non stick foil, or spray a piece of foil with cooking spray and place it spray side down on top of the baking dish. Bake for 20-30 minutes until warmed through and the cheese is melted. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream and sliced scallions.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
IS THIS SPICY?
It’s not over the top spicy, it uses chili powder and chipotle powder.
If you are not a fan of spice at all you can cut those back or omit them entirely.
Just know that those are key elements to make this recipe, but it will still taste good without them!
CAN I USE ANOTHER MEAT?
Absolutely, if you are not a huge fan of ground beef or simply want to switch up your meat options you can swap out the ground beef with ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground pork!
WHAT KIND OF CHEESE IS BEST?
First off we like to use freshly grated cheese, this melts better than packaged cheese since it does not have any of the preservatives.
We like to use cheddar for this recipe, but you can switch up your cheeses to your preference.
Some other ideas include Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, and a Mexican Blend.
DO THE FRITOS GET SOGGY?
The Fritos will stay crunchy around the edges of the pan while this cooks.
The remaining Fritos do not get mushy but they will soften in the center of the casserole.
If you store this, there is a chance that the Fritos will get soggier just from sitting.
ANY ADDITIONS?
There are always options!
- Black beans: Stir a drained can into the meat mixture for added protein and southwestern taste.
- Enchilada sauce: Drizzle some over the top of the Fritos before baking for a tangy layer that transforms this into a “frito taco bake” meets chili dish.
- Green onions: Sprinkle chopped green onions right before serving for a fresh burst of flavor and color—one of my favorite taco toppings.
- Bell peppers: Sauté diced peppers with your hearty ground beef mixture for that extra veggie crunch.
- Kidney beans or pinto beans: Mix in to stretch the frito pie casserole recipe and add fiber.
- Pico de gallo: Once out of the oven, top your delicious dish with a spoonful of fresh pico for a bright, cool contrast.
- Hot sauce: If you like it spicy, dash a few drops on top for a fiery finish.
- Black olives: Slice and scatter them as a salty, briny topping—especially if you adore that frito taco pie vibe.
- Cream cheese: For a creamier casserole, melt a few tablespoons into the sauce—making it extra indulgent.
- Shredded lettuce: Once the casserole cools a bit, add lettuce on top (like a “walking taco” style) for crunch.
ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
Bring it on!
- Tortilla chips instead of Fritos if you don’t have a bag of fritos—still a frito taco casserole style, just without the corn-chip tang.
- Ground chuck in place of regular ground beef for a slightly richer taste—though either works.
- Low-sodium chili seasonings or homemade spice blend if you’re watching salt intake; same goes for a reduced-sodium version of canned chili if using that.
- Monterey jack cheese or mexican cheese blend if cheddar isn’t your jam—any cup of cheese that melts well is fine.
- Olive oil instead of vegetable oil to sauté your onions if that’s what you have on hand.
- Vegetarian crumbles in place of beef for a meatless option that still keeps a delicious meal vibe.
HOW TO STORE:
This can be stored in an airtight container or in the pan covered with plastic wrap or foil where it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
This can also be frozen, to do this place it in a freezer container or make it in a freezer-safe dish and wrap it with plastic wrap and foil and it will keep frozen for up to 3 months.
To defrost, remove to the refrigerator overnight.
Reheating may make the Fritos a little hard, I suggest covering the pan again with foil and baking until warmed through.
This will help the Fritos from drying out too much.
Also, sitting in the fridge may make it a little soggy too, but leftovers still taste delicious.
DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Try it with the chili cheese-flavored Fritos for a kick of flavor.
- This can be halved and made in a 9×9-inch dish to feed fewer people.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above.
- If you are not a fan of heat you can reduce or omit the chili powder and chipotle powder.
- Add beans to the chili mixture, this tastes great!
- You can switch up the cheese, see some of my suggestions above.
- Also, you can switch up your meats to ground chicken, turkey, or pork.
Looking for that fun and easy family-friendly dinner recipe that makes enough to feed everyone?
Then this Frito Pie Casserole is what you need.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
If you’ve tried this FRITO PIE CASSEROLE let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Easy Frito Pie Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
- 6 tablespoons tomato paste
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- ½ cup beef stock
For assembly:
- 9 cups lightly crushed Fritos
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Sour cream for serving
- Sliced scallions for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown and crumble the meat over medium-high with the onions. Break up the meat until there is no pink left and the onions appear translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Drain any excess fat.1 ½ pounds ground beef, 1 small onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cumin, chipotle powder, and tomato paste.1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder, 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon chipotle powder, 6 tablespoons tomato paste
- Cook for 2 minutes, stirring it all together until combined.
- Add the tomato sauce and beef stock, stir until combined.15 ounces tomato sauce, ½ cup beef stock
- Bring to a simmer and cover, simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add half of the crushed Fritos into the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish.9 cups lightly crushed Fritos
- Add half of the chili evenly over the Fritos.
- Top with half of the cheese. Repeat with another layer.3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Cover with non stick foil, or spray a piece of foil with cooking spray and place it spray side down on top of the baking dish. Bake for 20-30 minutes until warmed through and the cheese is melted. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream and sliced scallions.Sour cream, Sliced scallions
Notes
- Try the chili cheese Fritos for a kick of flavor.
- This can be halved and made in a 9×9-inch dish to feed less people.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above.
- If you are not a fan of heat you can reduce or omit the chili powder and chipotle powder.
- Add beans to the chili mixture, this tastes great!
- You can switch up the cheese, see some of my suggestions above.
- Also you can switch up your meats to ground chicken, turkey or pork.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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I made this tonight, I cut the recipe in half but I only used a half pound of ground beef instead of 3/4 pound, and used a 9×9 dish.
We liked it, we both just thought it was a little bit dry, (which I’m sure was my fault) but we also thought it had a really good flavor. I even cut some time off of the simmering and baking since I was doing half recipe , so I’m not sure why it was a little too dry. As I said, the flavor was good and I will definitely make it again. I just wanted to mention to anyone cutting the recipe in half to listen to yourself if you think the mixture looks a little dry to adjust in whatever way you think will work best, whether that’s using more beef stock etc. I’m wishing I would have used the whole 15 oz can of tomato sauce, and/or maybe 1/2 cup beef stock.