1980s Frito Pie Casserole Ground Beef
Frito Pie is a crowd-pleasing favorite, great for game day and a family meal everyone will agree on!
This casserole starts with a rich beefy base (similar to a chili) with ground beef, seasonings, and beans. Before baking, it's all topped with heaps of cheese and… you guessed it… FRITOS!!
Add your favorite taco toppings like tomatoes, sour cream, and jalapenos!
What is Frito Pie?
Frito pie is not really a pie, it's a kind of a taco casserole (like Dorito casserole)!
- Also known as Frito taco pie, this easy dish can be made at home with a few simple ingredients .
- It can be made ahead of time and baked just before serving.
- The corn chips on the bottom of the casserole soften, almost like tortillas while the Fritos on top stay crisp and crunchy.
- Swap up your typical taco night and add some toppings to the table and let everyone create their own bowl.
Turn it into a Party Favorite!
You can make this into a walking taco style meal!
Prepare the filling and simmer on the stove top (instead of baking). Use single serving Fritos corn chips bags and scoop the heated filling into the bag right on top of the Fritos. Hand it off to a hungry eater to add their favorite toppings! No mess and no dishes!
Frito Pie Ingredients
FILLING: Ground Beef (or ground chicken) is seasoned with taco seasoning. The addition of beans, beans, tomatoes, and corn turns it into a zesty and hearty filling. We used diced tomatoes but you can substitute salsa if you'd prefer.
Add in your favorites from diced bell peppers to garlic and cumin! To stretch the filling even further stir in a little bit of rice.
FRITOS: The Fritos on top add crunch and flavor while the Fritos on the bottom of the baking dish soften slightly and take on a texture almost similar to a tortilla.
CHEESE: We love to add lots of cheese, either TexMex or shredded cheddar cheese.
How to Make Frito Pie
- Brown beef and season with a packet of taco seasoning. Stir in remaining filling ingredients.
- Layer Fritos, cheese, and the meat mixture in a casserole dish per the recipe below .
- Top with more cheese and bake until bubbly.
Serve and enjoy… and don't forget the toppings!
Add Some Toppings
Much like tacos, this Frito pie recipe can be topped with your favorites! I like to have small bowls of toppings for everyone to pick their own!
- Sauces: Salsa, hot sauce, sour cream, guacamole
- Veggies etc: Sliced black olives, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce jalapeños, green chiles, lime wedges, scallions, cilantro.
More Chili Inspired Favorites
- The Best Chili Recipe – everyone's favorite
- Quick Hot Dog Chili – so much yum
- Green Chili Recipe – great for a crowd
- Texas Chili – a classic no bean favorite!
- Easy White Chicken Chili – healthy and delicious
Frito Pie
A TexMex inspired casserole with ground beef, tomatoes, corn, taco seasoning & salsa, layered with Frito chips and shredded cheese.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 33 minutes
Total Time 48 minutes
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- 1 package taco seasoning & water as indicated on package
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 10 ounces diced tomatoes with chilies or salsa
- 1 ½ cups tomato sauce
- 15 ounces kidney beans drained
- 1 cup corn drained
- 1 bag Fritos® corn chips divided, about 5 ½ cups
- 2 cups Mexican cheese blend divided, shredded, 8 ounces
- ¼ cup green onions chopped
- sour cream for serving (optional)
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9"x13" casserole dish.
-
Brown ground beef and onions, drain fat. Stir in taco seasoning, chili powder, and water.
-
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, & beans. Simmer an additional 5 minutes.
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Add 4 cups of Frito chips to the bottom of prepared dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese.
-
Spread beef mixture over top and top with remaining cheese.
-
Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
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Top with remaining chips and desired toppings.
Beef can be replaced with ground turkey or chicken if desired.
If serving leftovers, reserve corn chips for topping until serving. Add corn chips and toppings after re-heating.
To increase the heat, add diced jalapenos to the meat mixture.
Adapted from Betty Crocker
Serving: 6 g | Calories: 624 | Carbohydrates: 53 g | Protein: 33 g | Fat: 32 g | Saturated Fat: 12 g | Cholesterol: 87 mg | Sodium: 1314 mg | Potassium: 1006 mg | Fiber: 11 g | Sugar: 8 g | Vitamin A: 1596 IU | Vitamin C: 16 mg | Calcium: 366 mg | Iron: 6 mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Casserole, Dinner
Cuisine American, Tex Mex
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