Tammy's Frito Pie

Tammy's Frito Pie

When I get hungry for Frito Pie I think of Texas. I have a very strong memory of being in middle school in Humble, Texas, and waiting in line for those lunch lady Goddesses to serve the Frito Pie and the Taco-in-a-bag. Those were the good ole days. Back when schools could serve that kind of thing, and I could eat anything without gaining weight. Sigh.

To me, Frito Pie equals comfort food. It's right up there with meatloaf, mac and cheese, and biscuits and gravy. 

Many years ago when I move to PA, I had to make the food that reminded me of home since no one here had ever heard of most of the meals I grew up on. This is what I came up with based on my fuzzy memories.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think. :)

Tammy's Frito Pie

1½ pounds ground meat

1 bag of Fritos (9 3/4 ounces)

1½-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Two 15 ounce cans tomato sauce

1/2-3/4 cup water

Homemade chili seasoning ( you can buy the packet seasoning to make it easier)

Assorted toppings

Chili Seasoning

Chili Seasoning

1½ tbsp white flour

1 tbsp chili powder

3 tbsp dried onion

1½ tsp seasoning salt

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp cayenne pepper 

1 tsp sugar

1tsp dried garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried basil

Preheat oven to 350º. Brown the ground beef over medium heat. Add the seasoning and water. Add the tomato Sauce and cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes.

While the meat mixture is cooking grab a 9x13 pan. Put the whole bag of Fritos in the pan.

 When the meat is done simmering, pour the mixture over the fritos. DO NOT STIR.  Top with cheese. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until cheese is melted and it's bubbly. Serve with sour cream, black olives, salsa or whatever you are hungry for.

Tammy's Frito Pie

Enjoy!

Until next time!

Super Bowl Veggie Pizza

I don't watch a lot of football but I like to watch the Super Bowl. 

 We used to get together with our friends John and Paula for the super bowl every year until sadly, they moved away. Paula and I would talk through the whole game and then turn to the TV when the commercials came on. The commercials and the halftime entertainment are usually the best part for me. :)

Super Bowl Veggie Pizza

We always had lots of snacks to munch on during the game. This is an easy recipe to help kick off your Super Bowl party.

Super Bowl Veggie Pizza

Two cans crescent dough

Two 8 ounce containers of garden vegetable cream cheese

3 ounce of plain cream cheese, softened

11 grape tomatoes

11 fresh whole mushrooms

 3 cups broccoli, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup cauliflower, chopped

1 black olive

Preheat oven to 375º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. I used a 12x17 sheet pan. Pop open the cans of crescent dough. You will probably jump when you hear the pop no matter how prepared you are. It's okay.

 Lay the first can of dough out on your pan. Start at one end on the short side of the pan. Roll it out from long side to long side of the pan. Place second roll of dough up against first roll but not overlapping. Use a rolling pin to flatten dough and seal seams. Take a fork and randomly puncture the dough to keep it from bubbling up.

Bake for about 12 to 14 minutes.

Cool completely.

While the dough is cooling you can start on the veggies. Pull the stems out of the mushrooms and set aside. You can use them for another recipe but you won't need them for your pizza.

Use a paring knife to turn the tomatoes and mushrooms into helmets. With one hand, hold the tomato/mushroom. With the other hand, use the paring knife to make one slit down one side of the tomato/mushroom and then make one slit down the other side. Make a slit across to cut out a small square of tomato/mushroom. Place on a paper towel so the tomatoes can dry a little.

Now chop the broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. I use a manual food chopper.

Chop the veggies

 Now it's time to spread the garden vegetable cream cheese on the baked dough. Use an off-set spatula or anything that you have available to spread one and half containers of cream cheese on the dough. You can use more or less, depending on how much cream cheese you like.

Cooked crescent dough with cream cheese spread.

 Now it's time to make the field. Leaving room on each end for the end zone, spread the chopped broccoli over the cream cheese. Sprinkle the cauliflower in one end zone and the carrots in the other.

Place the softened regular cream cheese in a small baggie and snip off the corner to make it a pastry bag. Now pipe on the yard lines and decorate the helmets.

Pipe cream cheese on the helmets.

 Be sure to separate the end zones from the field. For the yard lines, start in the middle and evenly work your way toward the end zones.

You can use food coloring in your cream cheese if you want to get fancy. The black olive is the football. 

And there you have it.

Close up of the "field"

Enjoy!

Until next time!