Frito pie
Encyclopedia
Frito pie is a dish made with chili
, cheese
, and corn chips. Optional additions include salsa
, refried beans
, rice
, and jalapeños, among others.
It is popular in the Southern
and Southwestern United States
; particularly the states of Texas
, New Mexico
, and Oklahoma
.
or other corn chips with chili and cheese in a large pan and baking it as a casserole
. Because so many chips are used in the dish, they tend to be moistened but not soggy from the chili.
An alternative method uses a small, single-serving bag of corn chips, with chili or taco meat poured over the top. The combination is then often finished with grated cheese, onions, jalapeño
s, lettuce, and sour cream. This second method is sometimes called a Frito boat or a walking taco in the Midwestern United States
, while in the Ohio Valley region, it is commonly called taco-in-a-bag. Frito pies are popular at sports venues, fundraisers, bingos, open houses, state fairs and street vendors.
The exact origins of the Frito pie are unknown though there are several stories as to its beginnings.
One of the stories says that the Frito pie originated with Frito-Lay
's founder Elmer Doolin's mother. It claims that Daisy Dean Doolin came up with the Frito pie sometime after creating the first Frito chip. Mentions of the Frito pie are nearly as old as the company itself which was founded in 1932.
Another of the stories claims that true Frito pie originated only in the 1960s
with Teresa Hernández, who worked at the F. W. Woolworth's lunch counter in Santa Fe
, New Mexico
.
Chili con carne
Chili con carne is a spicy stew. The name of the dish derives from the Spanish chile con carne, "chili pepper with meat". Traditional versions are made, minimally, from chili peppers, garlic, onions, and cumin, along with chopped or ground beef. Beans and tomatoes are frequently included...
, cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
, and corn chips. Optional additions include salsa
Salsa (sauce)
Salsa may refer to any type of sauce. In American English, it usually refers to the spicy, often tomato based, hot sauces typical of Mexican and Central American cuisine, particularly those used as dips. In British English, the word typically refers to salsa cruda, which is common in Mexican ,...
, refried beans
Refried beans
Refried beans is a dish of cooked and mashed beans and is a traditional staple of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, although each cuisine has a somewhat different approach when making the dish.-Ingredients and preparation:...
, rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, and jalapeños, among others.
It is popular in the Southern
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
and Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
; particularly the states of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
Preparation
Frito pie is typically made by combining FritosFritos
Fritos is the name of a brand of corn chips made by Frito-Lay. Elmer Doolin was so taken with the bag of corn chips served with his lunch in San Antonio, Texas that he paid $100 for the recipe. In 1932, he started the Frito Corporation. Original Fritos ingredients are limited to whole corn, corn...
or other corn chips with chili and cheese in a large pan and baking it as a casserole
Casserole
A casserole, from the French for "saucepan", is a large, deep dish used both in the oven and as a serving vessel. The word casserole is also used for the food cooked and served in such a vessel, with the cookware itself called a casserole dish or casserole pan...
. Because so many chips are used in the dish, they tend to be moistened but not soggy from the chili.
An alternative method uses a small, single-serving bag of corn chips, with chili or taco meat poured over the top. The combination is then often finished with grated cheese, onions, jalapeño
Jalapeño
The jalapeño is a medium-sized chili pepper that has a warm, burning sensation when eaten. A mature jalapeño fruit is 2–3½ inches long and is commonly picked and consumed while still green, but occasionally it is allowed to fully ripen and turn crimson red...
s, lettuce, and sour cream. This second method is sometimes called a Frito boat or a walking taco in the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, while in the Ohio Valley region, it is commonly called taco-in-a-bag. Frito pies are popular at sports venues, fundraisers, bingos, open houses, state fairs and street vendors.
History
One of the stories says that the Frito pie originated with Frito-Lay
Frito-Lay
Frito-Lay North America is the division of PepsiCo that manufactures, markets and sells corn chips, potato chips and other snack foods. The primary snack food brands produced under the Frito-Lay name include Fritos corn chips, Cheetos cheese-flavored snacks, Doritos and Tostitos tortilla chips,...
's founder Elmer Doolin's mother. It claims that Daisy Dean Doolin came up with the Frito pie sometime after creating the first Frito chip. Mentions of the Frito pie are nearly as old as the company itself which was founded in 1932.
Another of the stories claims that true Frito pie originated only in the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
with Teresa Hernández, who worked at the F. W. Woolworth's lunch counter in Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
External links
- Texas Cooking Article
- Cook the Book: Frito Pie
- Shilcutt, Katharine. "The Frito Pie Is Not from Texas: Commence Pearl-Clutching...Now." Houston PressHouston PressThe Houston Press is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in Downtown Houston....
. Thursday October 13, 2011.