If you are of a certain age, you may well recall tuna casseroles topped with potato chips. For National Corn Chip Day, we suggest topping your dish with Fritos… regular or scoop-style, or any other chip made from corn meal, such as tortilla chips.
Or whip up a Super Simple Taco Pie with ground beef or shredded rotisserie chicken! Yummy comfort food on a cold winter’s day.
Super Simple Taco Pie
This is one scrumptious comfort food on a cold winter’s day!
1 lb lean ground beef
1 large (or 2-3 small) sweet onion, chopped
1 pkg dry taco seasoning mix
10 oz red enchilada or taco sauce (medium spiciness)
10-oz can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes & chilies, & juices
1 c corn (fresh or frozen)
15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
10 oz bag Fritos (scoop-style), divided
3 c shredded Monterey Jack or pepperjack cheese or Mexican combo
1 or 2 slim green onions (green parts only), thinly sliced
Garnishes & toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, chopped avocado, salsa, additional Fritos scoop chips, sliced black olives, hot sauce, crispy bacon bits, hot or mild banana pepper rings, pickled jalapeño rings, or finely diced sweet pepper
Brown beef in large skillet over med heat, along with the onions, stirring to crumble the beef. Stir in taco seasoning mix and sauce. Then add the Ro-Tel, corn, and beans. Bring to a simmer and let cook, stirring often for 4-5 minutes.
Meanwhile, spread 4 c Fritos in bottom of olive oil-sprayed 13×9” baking dish, turning open sides of scoops to face upwards. Sprinkle 1½ c cheese over the chips before spreading evenly with meat mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top, sprinkle with green onions, and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, crumble 1 c of remaining Frito chips. Sprinkle them over the melted cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Serve with your choice of garnishes & toppings on the side. Makes 4-6 servings.
KISS Tips: Do not freeze this dish before or after baking as the chips will turn to mush. Serve on its own or with a green salad on the side. You can also replace the beef with shredded rotisserie chicken or browned ground turkey or chicken or other protein of your choosing. Make your own taco seasoning mix by combining 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp each: smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper (or cayenne, if you like it hot).
KISS Variation: Turn this into Super Simple Taco Dip by omitting the Fritos chips in the mixture and bake this as a dip, including as much or as little cheese as you prefer, and serving with the scoop-style Fritos on the side as dippers.
