Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Frito Pie Casserole

This one's inspired by one of my favorite treats from south Texas.  For the uninitiated,  a Frito pie is a very simple and delicious concoction: chili and cheese slathered over a bed of Fritos, preferably garnished with several pickled jalapeno slices.  It's also an example of "rescuing" a dish.  The chili for this was left-over, and was a little too salty.  The Cornmeal base toned down the salt, and the result was great.

Cornmeal base:
1.5 cups cornmeal
1 can whole kernel corn
6 cups water
1 tsp salt
Combine all the above, bring to a boil, and spoon into greased baking dishes.



Using lard is key to getting an authentic "mexican" taste for the base. 
Top with:
8 cups left over chili
2 cans Rotel with lime and cilantro

 Bake at 400 for 45 minutes, top with 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, bake an additional 5 minutes.

Looks burned on the edges, but it's a lighting problem.

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