Cheesy Frito Pie Casserole

Hearty ground 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!

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 and even game day!

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

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.

Ingredient Notes

• Ground Beef – Use lean ground beef of substitute ground turkey.
• 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.

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!

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, enchilada sauce, 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. Remove and serve with your favorite toppings.

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

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 them, then you can use seasoned 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.
• The rest of the ingredients are already cooked going into the oven. Watch the cheese, and cook until just melted.
• 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!

This easy Frito Pie Casserole is super easy to make, full of ground beef, beans, and cheese, and topped with crunchy corn chips!

Frito Pie Casserole

Rich and hearty beef mixed with tomatoes, green chilies, Ranch beans, and taco seasoning, topped with crunchy Frito corn chips and gooey cheese.

4.79 from 19 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Ground Beef

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Jennifer Stewart

Equipment

• 12.5 Inch Pre-Seasoned Cast iron Skillet – Frying Pan
• 9 x 13 Baking Dish Ceramic Casserole Dish, White

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 large sweet onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 15oz can Ranch Style beans
• 10 ounces red enchilada sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 3.5oz bags Fritos corn chips
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 10oz can diced chilies & tomatoes (Rotel)
• 2 cups Mexican cheese shredded
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• avocado green onions, shredded lettuce, jalapenos, cherry tomatoes (optional garnishes)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 dish with nonstick spray.
• Add the oil to a large skillet. Heat over medium heat and add the diced onions. Cook until until they soften and then add the ground beef.
• Cook until no longer pink and drain the fat if desired.
• Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant (1-2 minutes).
• Add the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes.
• Add the Ranch Style Beans (with the juice), enchilada sauce, diced green chilies and tomatoes (with the juice), and the broth.
• Stir in the spices and continue to cook on medium-low simmer for 15 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper as preferred.  
• Stir in the sour cream and transfer to the prepared dish.
• Top with the shredded cheese and Fritos corn chips last.
• Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and the chips are a light golden brown.
• Remove from oven and top with your favorite garnishes. Serve warm.

Notes

• • 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.
  • The rest of the ingredients are already cooked going into the oven. Watch the cheese, and cook until just melted.
  • Spraying some cooking oil on the inside of the baking dish makes clean up after serving a lot easier.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 520kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 571mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g

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.