One of my favorite types of food is Mexican food, also known as New Mexican/Tex-Mex. I recently took a cooking class on this subject, and I was kindly (not really) told that calling it “Mexican” food was not correct. I completely understand that “Mexican” food officially refers to food from Mexico. However, Mexican food meant food from the southwestern United States where I grew up. It must be a regional thing… who knows? Whatever the case may be, or whatever it should officially be called, I love it!
Anyway, I really enjoy spicy food. I was unable to eat any spicy food during my first pregnancy, but I can somehow eat everything and anything in the spicy realm this time around. This includes tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and so much more. It is so nice being able to still eat everything like this because Mexican/New Mexican/Tex-Mex food is one of my go-to types of cuisine when I cannot figure out what to make for dinner.
While my husband does like this kind of food, his level of spice and my level of spice can differ quite a bit depending on the dish. So, I often keep the spice level around the mild to medium range, and then we can both add additional spiciness to our liking while we’re eating. We accomplish this with additional green chile, salsa, etc. It works well for us.
This particular recipe is for Frito Pie. If you are unfamiliar with it, it is similar to a bean and beef stew that is served with Fritos corn chips (regular tortilla chips work well too), shredded cheese, and any other toppings you might like. It is an extremely quick weeknight meal, it uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, and it can be doubled or even tripled to accommodate big crowds. My daughter, D, enjoys eating the beans from the dish, and T really likes this too. Hopefully, your family will like it as much as mine!
Frito Pie
Ingredients
- ½ pound ground beef
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 tbsp onion soup mix
- ¼ tsp garlic salt
- ¼ tsp Extra Spicy Mrs. Dash seasoning
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies, such as Rotel
- 2 cans chili beans, such as Ranch beans
- ½ cup shredded cheese
- 1 bag Fritos corn chips, or regular tortilla chips
- shredded cheese, sour cream, diced tomatoes, etc. for toppings
Instructions
- In a 3 quart saucepan, brown the hamburger meat with the taco seasoning, onion soup mix, garlic salt, and Spicy Mrs. Dash. Cook at medium heat until the meat is no longer pink.
- Drain the can of diced tomatoes with green chilies and add the contents to the hamburger meat. Allow the tomatoes to cook with the hamburger meat for a few minutes.
- Add the two cans of beans to the mixture. Stir well and cook for another few minutes, or until the beans begin to heat up.
- Add ½ cup of shredded cheese, and stir well.
- Turn the heat down to low and let the mixture simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir several times. (If it becomes too thick, add a little water to thin it out.)
- Serve the Frito Pie on top of chips. Then top with any desired toppings.
Notes
- To add more spice to the dish, consider adding more taco seasoning, diced green chilies, or red chile sauce to the Frito Pie mixture.
- If you cannot find Extra Spicy Mrs. Dash at your local grocery store, you can find it on Amazon here.
Note: As mentioned in the recipe above, Extra Spicy Mrs. Dash may not be available at your local grocery store. If you cannot find it, you can purchase it on Amazon here. It is a very versatile spice blend that I use frequently in dishes that need a little spicing up.
