Frito Pie [RECIPE]

It doesn’t have to be game day to serve up a yummy family favorite like Frito Pie.
(Photo by Jathan Fink, Jadeworks Entertainment)

As a kid, Frito Pie was always one of my favorite school lunches. It was crunchy, cheesy and simply good, filling grub. But one of the things I didn’t like about it is that sometimes it was a little too oily, which wasn’t a good thing for a teenager worried about his complexion. Now I’ve replaced half the meat with ground turkey, added more seasoning for a deeper flavor profile, and even thrown in a bit of corn meal for extra creaminess. I hope you like this grown-up version as much as I do!

PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 pound ground chuck
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilies
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground Mexican oregano
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 14-ounce can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 14-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup yellow corn meal
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 bag of Fritos (or any other brand of corn chips will work)
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced

DIRECTIONS

1. In a Dutch oven, brown ground turkey and ground chuck over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until meat is cooked through and crumbled into small pieces; drain. Return meat to pan and add garlic, stir; cook for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and green chilies, salt, oregano, cumin, and chili powder. Cover and reduce heat to low; simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Add beans. Stir to combine, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Mix corn meal with water, then add to chili. Stir to ombine and simmer for 10 more minutes. Set aside.
4. Place handful of Fritos in a bowl, top with chili, cheese and red onion; serve immediately. So tasty!

YIELDS: 8 servings

©2016 Jadeworks Entertainment