Frito Pie made inside large Frito bag, topped with jalapenos, chili and cheese

Gameday Frito pie

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Being deep in the pandemic lockdown likely means many of us are not gathering with the usual folks to overindulge in really good “bad” food while watching a big game. It’s too bad, because what I look forward to most are the gameday snacks! At our place, it’s usually sheet-baked wings, corn bread, guac, an obligatory green salad (which increases in popularity as we all get older) and of course, Frito pie.

The good news is that unlike other pies, Frito pies are best assembled last minute based on the (lack of) company, with leftover chili and all the components can be easily packed away to be enjoyed later on in the week.

Serves 6, 15 minutes prep time (does not include making the chili).

Yes you are using Fritos in bags

You are welcome to serve Frito pies in different ways: individual bags of Fritos for people to hold and eat with a fork; make a larger sized one out of a party-sized bag and provide tongs, or pour Fritos into a chip bowl and let people assemble the portions they want. If you are serving directly in the bag, you can open the bag at the top (where one typically opens a bag of chips to dig in); cut a slit from top to bottom at the side of the bag; or cut a slit from top to bottom right down centre front.

In the pictured pie, we layered a party-sized bag of Fritos with chili, cheese, and jalapeno peppers, similar to how you would layer lasagna. We folded the bottom corners of the bag together so that the bag can sit up. You can substitute the party-sized bag for six 2 oz bags instead.

Frito Pie made inside large Frito bag, topped with jalapenos, chili and cheese

Use the good chili

The only make-ahead component is the chili. May I recommend our slow cooker chili, which features toasted chipotles and other chili peppers? It’s easy, smoky, and thick enough to keep from turning your Fritos into a soup. Err on the side of “slightly more spicy” if you can. You will need around 1 1/2 cups for this recipe.

Gameday Frito pie
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Gameday Frito pie

Recipe by Tiny Kitchen CravingsCourse: SnacksCuisine: American
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

15

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 bag (9 1/4 oz, 262 g) of Fritos (BBQ or original), divided

  • 1 1/2 cups chili, cooked and hot, divided (try this slow cooker chili recipe from TinyKitchenCravings)

  • 1 cup shredded marble cheese, divided

  • 1 jalapeño, sliced, divided

Directions

  • Open the bag of Fritos at the top, and empty contents into a bowl.
  • Fold the lower two corners of the bag so they meet where the back folded seal meets the bottom seam. This creates a flat bottom for the bag to sit up. If you can fit a small plate or bowl into the bottom of the bag as an anchor, it will improve the stability.
  • Add 1/3 of the Fritos into the bottom of the bag. Top with 1/2 cup chili, 1/3 cup cheese and a sprinkle of jalapeños.
  • Add another 1/3 of the Fritos into the bag. Top with 1/2 cup chili, 1/3 cup cheese and a sprinkle of jalapeños.
  • If your bag seems too tall at this point, you can fold down the top of the bag 1-2 inches before continuing.
  • Top with the remainder of the Fritos, chili, cheese, and jalapeños.