Frito Taco Bake is a quick, stick-to-your-bones dinner that will warm the coldest of hearts this fall. Ready in under an hour and super easy...and did I mention all that cheese?!
¼teaspoonblack pepper, you can substitute with cayenne pepper if you prefer the chili to be spicier
18 ounce cantomato sauce
¼cupwater
1cankidney or pinto beans,rinsed and drained
2cupsshredded cheddar cheese, divided
3-4cupsfritos corn chips
1-2scallions,chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and spray well with cooking spray.
Add onions, peppers and ground beef to the pan and saute for 5-7 minutes until the beef in browned and the vegetables have softened. Use the spoon to break up the ground beef and stir everything periodically. Drain the grease.
Add chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, tomato sauce, water and beans and stir well to combine.
Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes stirring often.
Transfer to a deep dish pie plate or a 9 x 9 inch baking pan.
Sprinkle with 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar.
Top with Fritos and then sprinkle on the remaining ½ cup shredded cheddar.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with chopped scallions and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Drain the fat. After browning the meat with the veggies will cut down on the overall greasiness of the meat.
I baked this in a 10 inch pie plate. You could also use a 9 Inch Baking Dish, as long as it has high sides.
Or you can make it a one-pot meal by using an oven-safe pan and transferring it to the oven when the time comes.
Feel free to get crazy with toppings. Whatever you like on your tacos would taste fantastic on this as well! I topped it with plenty of shredded cheddar cheese before adding Fritos (which are dangerously addictive, by the way. Don't say I didn't warn you!) and a little more cheese on top of the Fritos, for good measure.
Storage and Leftovers: The leftovers will last up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator and reheat well in individual servings in the microwave.