one skillet chili cheese frito pie
Ah, Fritos. My childhood weakness.
Fritos were one of those snacks I often forgot about, but when they were presented to me, I quickly unforgot about them and ate most of the bag. I think this propensity gave birth to my constant craving for tortilla chips as an adult. Kinda like I graduated or something.
Football season translates to chili in the minds of many, and while this is a slightly different take, it’s no less relevant to the comfort food/tailgate world. Frito Pie is a Tex-Mex dish often made with beef, tomatoes, Fritos, and lots of melted cheese, a casserole nod to the big pots of meaty delight we make to warm up during the cold months.
Because we aren’t meateaters here at FMG (well, I’m not), we’re enjoying a bean-based twist on the beloved cheesy pan. One skillet, under an hour, and loaded with spice, topped off as you like to make it as simple or as loaded as you need. Meal preps beautifully too!
Chili When You’re Chilly
The base of our big fat one pan meal is lots of beans and lots of tomatoes. And some other shit, too.
Start off by sauteing some onion in your oven-safe pan until translucent. Stir in garlic and lots of spices – smoked paprika, oregano, chipotle chili powder, and cumin – then swirl in a fucken whole can of tomato paste. Makes this chili really rich and luscious.
Pour in a can of diced tomatoes (woo ALL THE TOMATOES), and your pinto beans, then a big hit of beer. Pumpkin beer hits really nice, I think, but a basic lager or ale works fine too. If you don’t like cooking with beer, use vegetable broth instead. Simmer that shit down until thickened. Taste for salt and pepper and add some more as needed.
Top Top Top It Off!
All that’s left now is to get all that cheese on the chili and throw it in the oven. Around these parts, we like to combine sharp cheddar with Monterrey jack.
Once the chili bubbles up around the cheese and the latter gets all nice and ooey gooey like you wanna stick your fingers in it (don’t do that), it’s good to go, yo.
For toppings, you can choose whatever you’d like. I photographed the chili with the Fritos piled on the skillet, but I like to dish out servings of chili and then top with Fritos. My preferred garnishes are green onions, cilantro, and a glob of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. I usually have yogurt around, so I tend to use that.
Our casserole here meal preps beautifully. I prefer to add the Fritos upon serving, but a lot of recipes mix them in with the chili, so both ways work depending on what you prefer. Store any toppings separate and sprinkle and dash as you eat.
Black or cannellini beans are an apt substitute for pinto beans, just FYI, if you have some cans of those around and need to use them up! Just as tasty.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
More classic comforts:
One Pot Cheesy Baked Pizza Pasta
Beer Cheese Broccoli Noodle Soup
Baked French Onion Chickpea Meatballs
One Pot Parmesan “Bacon” and Asparagus Pasta
one skillet chili cheese frito pie
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 6-oz can tomato paste
- 2 cans pinto beans, drained
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup beer of choice (or vegetable broth)
- 1 1/2 cups monterrey jack cheese, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 cups Fritos
- sour cream, cilantro, jalapeno peppers, green onions, and fresh lime juice, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large oven-safe pan or skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium. Saute the onion until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, and cumin, for about 1 minute. Swirl in the tomato paste.
- Pour in the beans, canned tomatoes, and beer. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the cheeses on top of the chili. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese melts and is bubbly. Divide into bowls and top with Fritos, sour cream, fresh cilantro, green onions, jalapeno slices, and a hint of lime juice, as desired.
