Uploaded November 2022 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago
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When the weather turns cold, I normally start to think either about soups, stews and fricasees, or about casseroles. This casserole is perhaps the result of marketing efforts in the last quarter of the 20th century, to find recipes to put on packages in order to shift more units. That said, it comes out well and is tasty, and it is very simple to make. It can be made entirely in a “caker” sort of style, using canned refried beans and canned chili. But of course, I usually prefer to make my own ingredients.
The chief ingredients are refried beans, chili, and grated cheese such as Monterey Jack or a young cheddar. Refried beans are easy to make and hold well; I recommend making them the night before, to keep things simple. Chili is also straightforward to make, though it can benefit from an hour or more at a simmer to develop flavor. I recommend a ground-beef chili for this recipe.
Assembling the pie is easy, as there aren’t repeated layers as would be in a lasagne. I am used to old-timey Frito pie made in a casserole dish. In recent times, restaurants have started making it straight in little single-serving bags of Fritos. It wouldn’t be that hard to set up a bunch of individual “pies” in ramekins or other single-serving dishes. In assembling them, make sure not to completely cover the chips with the cheese, in order to allow both to become toasty under the broiler.
Makes enough for 8-10 people, or one 13x9” pan.
Equipment:
• roughly 13”x9” casserole dish
• sheet pan for dish to sit on in the oven
• cheese grater
Ingredients:
1 batch ground beef chili from 1 lb lean ground beef
2-2.5 cup refried beans half a batch made from 1.5 c dry pinto beans
150 g Monterey Jack divided 1/3 - 2/3
1 bag corn chips a la the eponymous Fritos; we used a locally-produced analog
Procedure:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Grease the inside of the casserole with bacon grease or some similar fat in order to prevent sticking.
3. Apply a layer of refried beans carefully to the bottom of the pan.
4. Sprinkle up to half the bag of corn chips evenly over the layer of beans.
5. Sprinkle one-third of the cheese over the chips.
6. Top the chips with an even layer of the chili.
7. Top the chili with the rest of the chips, or enough to cover to your satisfaction.
8. Sprinkle the last, greater portion of the cheese on top, and bake for 45 minutes.
9. After the baking time is up, check the casserole and determine whether the top seems toasty enough. If not, turn on the broiler for up to 5 minutes, keeping a close eye.
10. Server the Frito pie hot, alongside some salad or other vegetable. I found it was very pleasant with sauteed brussels sprouts with shallots and toasted pecans.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
Check our our Patreon!
patreon.com/loveyourfood
Need a kitchen thermometer? Check out ChefsTemp! Use code LoveYourFood for 15% off a meat thermometer!
shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=2084649&u=3322095&m=111859&urllink=&afftrack=
When the weather turns cold, I normally start to think either about soups, stews and fricasees, or about casseroles. This casserole is perhaps the result of marketing efforts in the last quarter of the 20th century, to find recipes to put on packages in order to shift more units. That said, it comes out well and is tasty, and it is very simple to make. It can be made entirely in a “caker” sort of style, using canned refried beans and canned chili. But of course, I usually prefer to make my own ingredients.
The chief ingredients are refried beans, chili, and grated cheese such as Monterey Jack or a young cheddar. Refried beans are easy to make and hold well; I recommend making them the night before, to keep things simple. Chili is also straightforward to make, though it can benefit from an hour or more at a simmer to develop flavor. I recommend a ground-beef chili for this recipe.
Assembling the pie is easy, as there aren’t repeated layers as would be in a lasagne. I am used to old-timey Frito pie made in a casserole dish. In recent times, restaurants have started making it straight in little single-serving bags of Fritos. It wouldn’t be that hard to set up a bunch of individual “pies” in ramekins or other single-serving dishes. In assembling them, make sure not to completely cover the chips with the cheese, in order to allow both to become toasty under the broiler.
Makes enough for 8-10 people, or one 13x9” pan.
Equipment:
• roughly 13”x9” casserole dish
• sheet pan for dish to sit on in the oven
• cheese grater
Ingredients:
1 batch ground beef chili from 1 lb lean ground beef
2-2.5 cup refried beans half a batch made from 1.5 c dry pinto beans
150 g Monterey Jack divided 1/3 - 2/3
1 bag corn chips a la the eponymous Fritos; we used a locally-produced analog
Procedure:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Grease the inside of the casserole with bacon grease or some similar fat in order to prevent sticking.
3. Apply a layer of refried beans carefully to the bottom of the pan.
4. Sprinkle up to half the bag of corn chips evenly over the layer of beans.
5. Sprinkle one-third of the cheese over the chips.
6. Top the chips with an even layer of the chili.
7. Top the chili with the rest of the chips, or enough to cover to your satisfaction.
8. Sprinkle the last, greater portion of the cheese on top, and bake for 45 minutes.
9. After the baking time is up, check the casserole and determine whether the top seems toasty enough. If not, turn on the broiler for up to 5 minutes, keeping a close eye.
10. Server the Frito pie hot, alongside some salad or other vegetable. I found it was very pleasant with sauteed brussels sprouts with shallots and toasted pecans.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
