Crunchy and Cheesy Frito Pie Casserole

Thanks for sharing!

Rich and hearty beef mixed with tomatoes, green chilies, Ranch beans, and taco seasoning, topped with crunchy Frito corn chips and gooey cheese. This Frito Pie Casserole is a family favorite for sure!

Frito Pie Casserole

I had never heard of Frito pie until I met my friend from the midwest. Once I tasted it, I was in love! It’s my favorite way to each chili and corn chips. My husband eats Fritos like they are going out of style if I have them in the house, so he is a big fan of this too.

But I do need to hide an extra bag of corn chips, otherwise I wouldn’t have any left to make it with.

It reminds me of a southwestern version of this walking taco casserole. And it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or even a game day gathering.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my disclosure policy here.

Ingredients Needed

• Ground Beef – Use lean ground beef of substitute ground turkey.
• Onion – A sweet onion or yellow onion work best.
• Garlic – Fresh, minced garlic is the best for flavor. Substitute garlic powder if easier.
• Beans – I like to use Ranch Style beans for the smoky flavor. Substitute flavored chili beans if you prefer.
• Rotel – Diced tomatoes & green chilies.
• Chips – Frito corn chips. If you want to get some more seasoning in there then using the chili flavored Fritos is ok too.
• Cheese – Shredded Mexican cheese blend or your favorite. Monterey Jack is great too.
• Sour cream – Sub plain Greek yogurt.
• Staples – Spices, tomato paste, beef broth, salt and black pepper.

Follow us on Pinterest so you can easily save your favorite casserole recipes to your dinner planning board. And save a few of our other recipes while you are there!

For the full recipe and detailed baking instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to Make Frito Pie Casserole

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Cook onions and brown ground beef in a large skillet with the oil. Drain fat.
2. Add the garlic, tomatoes, beans, spices, and broth to the ground beef and onions. Bring to a simmer and stir in sour cream.

3. Transfer the beef mixture to a 9×13 casserole dish. Top with cheese and corn chips.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and corn chips are starting to brown.
5. Remove and serve with your favorite toppings.

Can I make it ahead of time?

You absolutely can! That’s one of the things I love about this recipe. Prep everything like normal, but leave off the fritos. Cover and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Add the corn right before baking.

Can I freeze it?

You can also prep and bake it, cool completely, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the oven.

You might want to leave off the corn chips and add them right before reheating.

What are ranch style beans?

Ranch style beans are beans that are typically seasoned with taco seasonings like cumin, some chili powder, smoky paprika, and garlic powder. You can find them by the rest of the canned beans in the store.

If you can’t find the,, then you can season some pinto beans (and even seasoned black beans) as well.

Tips for the Best Casserole

• You can easily make this ahead of time but save adding the last layer of Fritos and cheese for just before it goes in the oven. That keeps the crunch in the chips best.
• If the meat is too soupy after you cook it and and the other ingredients, then drain a bit more of the liquid first. Baking the frito pie casserole tightens everything up though, so don’t take out too much liquid, just a quarter or half cup at most.
• Let the melted cheese on top be your guide to doneness. Since all the ingredients are cooked ahead of adding it into the casserole dish, you are just looking for the cheese to melt and slightly brown those Fritos on top.
• Spraying some cooking oil on the inside of the baking dish makes clean up after serving a lot easier.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, pin this to your favorite casserole Pinterest board and share it on your favorite social media channels!

BestCasseroleRecipes.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.