Frito Pie Lesson

Chili, Day Two and Beyond

When I make chili, it is usually a big stock pot event. It's not that we eat that much chili in a setting, but because it's so versatile that we can use it all sorts of different dishes over the next month or so. After eat our first, all chili meal, I put the leftovers in several containers of differing sizes. Some little containers go in the freezer to be pulled out at a later date for chili-dogs, others for chili-omelettes. Larger container goes in the fridge and is used in the next day or so for one of my favorite dishes, Frito Pie. For such a simple, pedestrian dish, it is complex in both flavor and texture. The spice of the chili is amplified by the saltiness of the corn chips. The cheese mellows out the heat and the lime and cilantro are crisp notes that play well accentuating the heaviness of everything else.

Today, Kitty and I went by Monte and Amy's house to have lunch, watch some Olympics and pick up Zak from his birthday sleepover with Dakota. When I offered to bring Frito Pie, the answer was a resounding "YES!"

Here's a still shot of the finished product. Video will be up later. I wont bother with a recipe, just a formula. In this order, Fritos + Chili + Shredded Cheese + Chopped Cilantro + Lime Juice = Frito Pie. Don't email me asking for measurements, just wing it and use the picture as a guide.

Bon Appetit!
~Tom