Frito® Pie

By Kipp Rix

There are days when nothing will do but the crew needs a meal that is based around a plain old comfort food: biscuits ‘n gravy, chicken fried steak, meatloaf, mac ‘n cheese, or a big juicy green chili cheeseburger. But once the weather starts turning cooler, a big bowl of Frito Pie is hard to beat for an all-time favorite comfort food around the station. The origin of the Frito Pie is not truly known; one account states that the recipe was created by the mother of the founder of Frito-Lay, Daisy Dean. Another story places the creation of the Frito Pie in my home state of New Mexico, where Teresa Hernandez was said to have created the dish at the lunch counter of a Santa Fe F.W. Woolworth’s store. In the 1950s, Nell Morris joined Frito-Lay, where she helped develop a cookbook that included a recipe for Frito Pie.

There are many recipes for Frito Pie, and sadly many of them call for using some version of canned chili poured over a bowl of chips and topped with cheese and possibly diced onion. So what makes one version of Frito Pie better than another? Well, in my humble opinion, it’s simply the chili, and since my chili “Animas River Red” was voted Best Fire Fighter Chili in the state of New Mexico for 2012, I figure my recipe for Frito Pie is one of the top 50 in the United States. In keeping with my philosophy in cooking, this is the perfect double duty meal; you can make a large batch of my chili, serving it for supper one night and then using the leftovers for the Frito Pie for lunch the second day. The combination of the fire-roasted tomato and tomato juice-based liquid makes for a distinct flavor in this chili. When combined with the red chili powder and the other spices, this chili comes to life with all of the best flavors the southwest has to offer. I look forward to hearing your reviews on this meal.

Shopping List (Serves 4)

3 pounds pork tenderloin ¼-inch diced

1 pound bacon ¼-inch diced ( I like to use a black pepper bacon)

28 oz fire roasted tomatoes

2 cups tomato juice

2 cups water

4 tablespoons red chili powder, divided (not cayenne)

2 tablespoons garlic powder, divided

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 teaspoons Chipotle chili powder, divided

2 teaspoons smoked paprika, divided

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon crushed basil

salt to taste

large bag Frito chips

grated sharp cheddar cheese

Cooking Directions

1. In a large pot, brown the bacon pieces, remove bacon, and drain on paper towel.
2. Add the diced pork to the bacon grease and brown.
3. Remove meat and add with bacon to drain.
4. Remove excess oil from the pot, leaving the remaining dark flavorful crispy bits.
5. In a blender, combine the fire-roasted tomatoes and tomato juice and blend into a thick liquid.
6. Pour this liquid, the cooked meat, and the water into the pot and start to boil.
7. Once the mixture is boiling, add the first dump of spices: 2 tablespoons red chili powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon Chipotle powder, and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika.
8. Stir in spices well to blend, reduce heat, and allow the mixture to simmer for 30 minutes.
9. Add the second dump of spices: 2 tablespoons red chili powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Chipotle powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon cumin.
10. Stir in spices to blend well and allow mixture to simmer 15 minutes. Add small amounts of water if needed to keep chili to the consistency you desire, (At home and for competition cooking, I have been known to thin the chili with Corona beer).
11. Add the basil and salt to taste.

You have probably noticed that there are no beans in this recipe. That is because I am a chili purist and cook meat-only chili, but feel free to add a couple of cans of beans to this recipe if you and your crew so desire.

Frito pie can be served on of two ways: First, you can add the chips to a bowl, top with the chili and cheese, and eat. Or, you can add the chips to a baking dish, top with the chili and cheese, then bake the pie for 15 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven until the cheese is bubbly. If you want to kick this recipe up a notch or two, try serving with a little sour cream and sliced pickled jalapenos on the top.

Kipp has been in the fire service for 18 years working as both a career and volunteer firefighter in New Mexico. Kipp started cooking at the age of 10 and learned his early skills watching shows like the Galloping Gourmet and Julia Child. Throughout the years, Kipp refined his skills with a focus on grilling foods with a southwestern flair. In 2009 Fire House Publications, LLC released the first of Kipp’s two cook books with the second book released in 2011; a portion of the proceeds from the books helps fund donations towards teaching fire fighters Firefighter Survival “Getting Out Alive”. Kipp’s philosophy of fire house cooking is “Just because you work in a busy house does not mean that you have to settle for ordinary cooking, a crew’s attitude is directly related to the meals served!” Each of Kipp’s recipes has been Fire House tested and approved. Please email krix@fhpllc.net with a crew picture enjoying this recipe along with your review; each month one entry will be selected to receive a signed copy of one of my cook books.