Hey There, Frito Pie

I first discovered Frito Pie when I lived in Houston a couple of years ago. A native Texan ordered it when I was out for Tex-Mex and I seriously thought he was joking when he said, "I'll have a Frito Pie" (in a Southern accent, of course).

To Texans, this is no joke. Frito Pie is simply chili scooped into a bag of Fritos. At that particular restaurant, the Frito Pie was served in a bag of Fritos. I was intrigued.

Here in Buffalo, I found (and ate, drunkenly) a variation on the Frito Pie: Taco-in-a-Bag, at the fine dining establishment, Jim's Steakout (for you non-Buffalonians, Jim's is Buffalo's late night, only-good-if-you're-drunk kind of fast food). It wasn't too bad but it wasn't too great.

Then I stumbled upon this recipe for Kimchi Frito Pie. I bookmarked it immediately and figured this would make a good kitchen experiment one day.

In all seriousness, Kimchi Frito Pie is pretty tasty, whether you're drunk or sober. I love the Asian flavors in the meat mixture (especially the ginger) and the Fritos add a nice crunch. It's kind of like Asian nachos, except the corn chips are Fritos. And make sure to use plain Fritos. I also tried the Honey BBQ and it didn't mesh as well as regular Fritos.

a spoonful of the honey bbq frito pie

I can definitely see the crowd on Late Night Cafeteria totally LOVING this.

Kimchi Frito Pie adapted from Serious Eats
Ingredients:
1 tbs canola oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbs ginger, grated
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup of kimchi, chopped
2 small bags of Fritos
1 green onion, chopped
a handful of shredded cheddar cheese
a handful of chopped cilantro
optional toppings: sour cream, tomatoes, sesame seeds
Directions:
1. Heat oils in pan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and heat for 30 seconds. Then add in ground turkey and green bell pepper. Break up meat with back of wooden spoon and cook until no longer pink.
2. Add in soy sauce and brown sugar to pan and stir to combine. Then mix chicken broth and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Then add mixture to pan. Stir and heat through until the mixture thickens.
3. Add in kimchi, stir and heat for another 2 minutes. Then immediately add a large spoonful to an opened bag of Fritos. Top with green onion, cheese, cilantro and other toppings. Shake up the bag and enjoy!