Easy Frito Pie Casserole Recipe

This easy Frito Pie Casserole layers crunchy Fritos, a rich homemade beef chili, and melty cheddar into one bubbling baked comfort dinner.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Frito Pie Casserole

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 10

Servings servings

Calories 961kcal

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 9x13 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

Try the chili cheese Fritos for a kick of flavor.
This can be halved and made in a 9x9-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.