I almost didn’t want to share this with you. I am a grown woman, and I love, no I *LOVE* Frito Pies. My love for a Frito pie happened many years ago, it happened at a football game. Not only was I in love with the halfback, well I loved this mysterious dish as well. I didn’t grow up in the South, I moved to Texas when I was 15 years old. Someone said to me, you want a Frito Pie? I had no clue. I know if you don’t live in the South, you may have never heard of one of these. And honestly not many places serve these, I know Jason’s Deli serves these, as well as Sonic if you ask very nicely.
I was making a batch of my Wendy’s Chili, and like anyone who has tasted this magic dish, my follow up thought was a man, I wished I had a Frito Pie. What are they you ask? Thanks for asking… A Frito Pie is simply a dish of Frito’s splurge for the name brand here, cover them with chili, and top with cheese sauce, and a squirt of mustard. If you are lucky, someone has some chopped onions available. Yes, it may be a heartburn in the making, but the crisp saltiness of the Fritos smothered in chili, topped with cheese, almost makes me want to go back in the kitchen now.
My secret is out, I just outed myself. While that half back that I was in love with in high school is a long fading memory, Frito Pies are something you can make in your kitchen right now.
Frito Pie
Thanks to my friend Denise we have the Frito Bandito!
Love the idea of having pie for dinner? Check out these hearty pie recipes
Jason’s Deli Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie with Frozen Vegetables
Disney’s 50’s Prime Time Cafe Chicken Pot Pie
Frito Pie - One of my guilty pleasures
Ingredients
- 1 cup Fritos
- 10 ounces chili
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped onions
- Yellow Mustard - optional
- Jalapeno slices - optional
Instructions
- In a bowl, pour corn chips to cover the bottom of the dish. Ladle on hot chili, sprinkle with cheese and onions. Top with yellow mustard and jalapeno slices if you desire. So do you live in the South? Have you tried Frito Pie's before? What do you top yours with? Better yet, share some of your guilty pleasures. I would never invite someone over for a Frito Pie, but I would sure make one if you hinted you wanted one 😉 Link to Wendy's Chili is perfect for Frito pie.
Dawn says
The first one I ever had was in Texas at a school carnival. They took an individual bag of Fritos , cut it down the side, poured the chili and cheese and topped it with onions and we just ate them right out of the bag. They served them the same way at the high school football games. YUMMY!!!
Hank Hill says
Peggy Hill makes a damn fine Frito pie
Debra says
I live in Albuquerque, NM and this is similar to an authentic Frito pie. Anyone who uses canned items to make this dish is really lost. It is so easy to make without canned ingredients: First start with cooking pinto beans in water (stovetop on simmer for 4 hours, Crockpot 8 hours, pressure cooker 1.25 hours) Salt beans after they are cooked. Second item, cook real Hatch dried red chile (blend red chiles in water, garlic and salt to taste until smoothe; or buy frozen Bueno red chile and season as above). 3rd, Brown hamburger meat drain and add red chile to meat, salt to taste. once all items are cooked, serve into a bowl of Fritos, and top with cheese, tomatoes, onion, sour cream. That’s an authentic Frito Pie from Abq. NM.
stephaniemanley says
So when I called this my guilty pleasure part of that is the fact that when you get these out the majority of the time it canned chili. I personally love homemade chili.
houserne@hotmail.com says
St. Louis twist… add sliced hot links. Savory, sweet, and spicy! Yum!
Stephanie says
That is an interesting suggestion. I never had hot links on a frito pie.
Tom says
I have made Frito Pie for years. Putting a can of chili on Fritos is NOT it. Too bad the chili recipe was not included.
stephaniemanley says
Tom, here was the recipe that I often use for chili. Here in Texas while it may not be the greatest, don’t ask me why, but 9 out of 10 times I see it served with canned chili. https://copykat.com/wendys-chili/
John A. Grimes says
Sour cream and Banana peppers on top!!
Stephanie says
Sounds tasty!
Robert says
I actually use chili cheese fritos.!
Brenda says
This forgo pie is so good.
Lil_red_1821 says
Love it so much, was one of my favorite things to get at lunch in elementary and middle school
Amandajones0213 says
If you like Frito Pie you might like tamale pie too…. its basically the same concept as Frito Pie except you add a can of tamales. I layer the fritos, then chili and onions and then i put the cut up tamales on top and cover it with cheese and bake it in the oven for 45 minutes at 375 its awesome and my husband loves it!
Aheyer says
we make this with sloppy joe sauce w/ ground beef instead of chili. the mustard was a nice touch I thought.
Stephanie Manley says
I am so glad someone liked my mustard 😉
Rene says
I was born and raised in the south and was surprised at how many people have never heard of Frito pies! YUM!!! I’ve never put mustard on one but will definitely give your version a try. I love to eat Wendy’s chili on a baked potato so I’ll be trying that too. 😀 Also, top some home made fries with chili and cheese. YUM!!! As for the onions, grilled or sauteed!!!! I’m not much for the raw version. I love your website and have followed it for years!
Catred80 says
frito pie with 1 lb of ground beef,cut sliced tomato’s,lettuce,chili(wolf brand)american shredded cheese and corn chips..
Stephanie Manley says
I have never done the sliced tomatoes.
Catred80 says
frito pie with 1 lb of ground beef,cut sliced tomato’s,lettuce,chili(wolf brand)american shredded cheese and corn chips..
A petro's employee says
These are awesome. We started at the Knoxville World’s Fair. Check out their site for a location near you!
Maria Maese says
At our house, it’s fritos, fresh pinto beans, home made chili, cheese, onions, maybe some chopped tomato. No mustard. That’s a new one on me.
Stephanie says
I got the squeeze of yellow mustard when I lived in Timpson, Texas. It was pretty popular there.
SANDIE says
i grew up in marshall…about 40 miles from TIMPSON…..i had totally forgotten about the
frito pkg deal….??omg….i am a child of the 70s…..thanks for reminding me about the slit pkg…i think they did those at like the little stands where you bought over priced sodas and hot dogs…….lol
Frann says
In reading through this string – up in the NW – a bag of Fritos, chili, grated cheddar cheese and onions is call a “Belly Buster” – great for camping . . .
Stephanie says
I think this is known all around with different names.
Kim says
I’m from West Texas and have never heard of mustard on Frito Pie. However, it sounds good.
Try putting your frito pie in a flour tortilla and roll it up. I know it sounds really weird, but Sonic sells them like that (called Frito Wraps). They are very good!
Pat Stanley says
This is almost like a Petro and is Soooo Good. BUT – you have to have a BIG spoonfull of sour cream on top!!!
Betty Clark says
Have had something similar to this in Jedburgh, Scotland but having no onion or mustard.
There was a dollop of sour cream on top.
It is called Pub Food and is DELICIOUS!!!
Up until last year the hotel was the longest running pub in Scotland!!!
Jaye says
Mustard doesn’t go with it. That’s an Okie thing – that I just learned about yesterday actually, and I’m a Texan (Houston, Austin). I’m assuming the author moved to a part of Texas that was very close to the Oklahoma border then.
See comment below
Stephanie says
Actually I am the author 😉 I have never lived in Oklahoma, nor am I an Okie. I did drive through there once. I live in Houston, Texas. The mustard on the Frito Pie was introduced to me by a native Texan, and you know I just love Frito Pies with mustard, but if you come to my house for a Frito Pie, I won’t make you eat it with mustard!