Frito Chili Pie

2/11/2016

I am updating this recipe while my kids are enjoying their third snow day this week. Hard to believe we moved South and are now on (I think) our eighth snow day since we moved here over Christmas break. I am actually starting to loose track. The roads are fine where we live and we are close to town so an adventure this afternoon (like a 4-H meeting I read about in the paper) is not out of the question. There isn't much snow on the ground, although we had a lot, 6-7 inches a couple of weeks ago.

Today we have less than an inch of snow on the patio in the shade and no snow in the yard. The little bit we got last night has already melted in the sun this morning. In my short experience in our new southern home it seems if snow falls, there is no school. I guess they just don't have the resources to deal with snow and slick roads that we were used to in IL.

Well at least the boys are enjoying a few days of board games, play time, too much TV (The best way to spend snow days, when there is no snow on the ground to play with, right?), and they were all able to attend Ash Wednesday mass yesterday. Today's play has included playing Leopard and building Leopard dens all over the house after watching a nature show on PBS. Hopefully they will have school tomorrow. They are so excited about their Valentine's Day parties.

On with the Frito Chili Pie because that is why you really came here today, not to hear about my snow day saga. My first memory of Frito Chili Pie is from middle school, traveling to an away basketball game and being amazed at how good it was. I had never had anything like it and thought it was the best concession food I had ever tasted.

We have been enjoying Frito Chili Pie for years. In fact it is my favorite way to eat chili. I prefer not to serve it in the tiny bags of fritos as some people do because I like Frito Chili Pie a LOT and I want a big bowl of it not a tiny bag. It would also be way too messy for my kids and this is one of their favorite meals so we happily serve up big bowls of Frito Chili Pie in our house.

This recipe has evolved somewhat since I first posted it about 5 years ago. We have discovered we like adding more tomatoes and using less meat. I use about 1 1/2 pounds of ground venison, but you could use as little as one pound of meat if you wanted and it would still be amazing.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Ground beef or venison (I usually use venison)
2 to 3 cloves Garlic, Minced (optional)
1 can (12 To 15 oz) Tomato Sauce
1 can (10 oz) Ro-tel (diced Tomatoes And Chilies)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Ground Oregano
1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder or more to taste
1 can (14-15.5 ounce) Kidney Beans, Drained And Rinsed
1 can (14-15.5 ounce) Pinto or Cannellini Beans, Drained And Rinsed
1/4 cup Masa (corn Flour) Or Regular Corn Meal
1/2 cup Warm Water
Fritos style corn chips
Grated Cheese (Sharp cheddar or a Cheddar or Colby blend works well)
Diced Sweet Onion and Sour Cream if you like for serving

Preparation Instructions

Brown ground beef or venison with garlic in a pot over medium-high heat. Add tomato sauce, Rotel, diced tomatoes, salt, oregano, cumin, and chili powder. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Add drained and rinsed beans. Stir to combine, then cover and simmer for another 20 minutes.

Mix masa with water, then add to the chili. Stir to combine and simmer for a final 10 to 15 minutes.

First layer chips, then chili, then cheese in individual bowls to serve. Top with diced onion and sour cream if you like. Serve immediately. Delicious!

If you are interested in food photography or improving your own food photography skills, you might enjoy the difference in my old post photo circa 2011 compared with my new post photos.

Most of what I have learned about improving my food photography, I learned from reading Tasty Food Photography (affiliate link) which was written by a hugely successful food blogger, Lindsay Olstrom.