American

Frito Pie

Name: Frito Pie
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 50 g Fritos corn chips; 120 g beef mince; 60 g onion; 1 garlic clove; 1 tsp vegetable oil; 1 tbsp chilli powder; 0.5 tsp ground cumin; 0.25 tsp dried oregano; 100 ml tomato passata; 60 ml beef stock; 50 g pinto beans; 30 g mature cheddar; 0.25 tsp salt; 8 g pickled jalapeño slices

A Tex-Mex classic from the Texas-New Mexico borderlands: a bed of salty corn chips buried under a spiced beef chilli, then finished with melting cheddar, raw onion and pickled jalapeños. Traditionally eaten straight from a split-open bag of Fritos with a plastic fork, but just as good in a bowl.

Lunch & dinner 25g+ protein 8g+ fibre

40 min10 prep · 30 cookEasy881 kcalper serving

Method

Warm 1 tsp of vegetable oil in a small heavy saucepan over a medium heat. Add 45 g of the finely chopped onion with a pinch of the salt and cook for 4 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent but not coloured. Stir in 1 chopped garlic clove and cook 30 seconds more, until fragrant.
Raise the heat to medium-high and add 120 g of beef mince. Break it up with a wooden spoon and brown for 5 minutes, pressing it flat against the pan between stirs so it catches and takes on colour rather than steaming. Do not drain the rendered fat — it carries the spice.
Lower the heat to medium and stir in 1 tbsp of chilli powder, 0.5 tsp of ground cumin and 0.25 tsp of dried oregano. Toast in the meat and fat for 45 seconds, stirring constantly, until the spices smell nutty — any longer and the chilli powder turns bitter.