Believe me, I’m all for a quick dinner fix. And who doesn’t love a pre-made pie filling? But something about this Spaghetti-O pie put me in a state of despair. Maybe it was the aggressive punching of garlic powder into white bread, or the topping of Easy Cheddar Cheese (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, stop what you’re doing immediately and watch the video below), but I wasn’t the only one not on board with this kid-friendly dinner hack. Frankly, I’m still not convinced it’s not entirely a sick joke.
While I was not brave enough to recreate this “spaghetti Italian” specialty, I did think there were a few appealing factors I could use for my own spin-off: it was fast, budget-friendly, and made entirely in the pie shell. Which led me to find inspiration from a classic mid- to southwestern favorite: Frito Pie — a crave-worthy combination of hearty chili, cheese, and Frito corn chips. Already sounds better, right?
Here’s how I created Frito Pie.
Reinvented Frito Pie
- 1 frozen pie crust
- 2 cans chili with beans, divided
- ⅓ cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
- ⅓ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 cups corn chips
- Desired toppings (such as sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, fresh cilantro)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prick the frozen pie crust all over with a fork.
- Inside the shell, combine 1 can of chili with the cheeses and beaten egg. Use the other can of chili to fill up the remainder of the pie crust, without adding enough to cause overflow.
- Crush the corn chips inside a zip-top bag, then sprinkle the crumbs evenly on the top of the pie filling. Bake for 1 hour on the lower rack of the oven. Allow to cool completely, then garnish, and serve.
