Vegan Classic Frito Pie

Total time50 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time35 min

This bowl starts with a hearty, well-spiced chili base built on kidney beans, diced tomatoes, and a deeply seasoned blend of chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and a touch of cayenne, all simmered down with softened onion, green bell pepper, and garlic until thick and rich. It gets ladled hot over a bed of crunchy Fritos corn chips, so every bite is a mix of crisp, salty crunch and warm, smoky chili. Finish it with diced white onion and a few jalapeño slices for a bright, fresh kick against all that spice. It's the kind of casual, stick-to-your-ribs comfort food that works just as well for a quick weeknight dinner as it does for game day, and it's a solid pick to add to your vegan lineup.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the chili

1 lb ground beef (80/20)
Gardein Ultimate Plant Based Frozen Ground Be'f - 13.7 Oz MorningStar Farms Crumbles Plant Based Protein Vegan Meat Grillers - 12 Oz Lightlife Smart Ground Original Plant-Based Crumbles Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Crumbles Ground Be'f RollinGreens Plant-Based Me'Eat Ground Taco
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Chef's tip
Pick the form that matches the recipe - a raw, moldable ground for patties, meatballs, or meatloaf; crumbles only for loose browned meat. Cook it in the recipe like the meat, checking doneness against the package guidance.
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup beef broth
Chef's tip
Use the same amount of low-sodium vegetable broth. The dish will taste lighter and less meaty; a mushroom-rich vegetable broth gives the closest beefy flavor.
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

For serving

4 cups fritos corn chips
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Chef's tip
If the dish is baked or melted, cover it or keep the heat gentle - dairy-free shreds melt more slowly than dairy cheese.
½ medium white onion, finely diced
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional)
¼ cup sour cream (optional)
Omit this
This ingredient likely doesn’t work for the diet.

Instructions

1
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Tilt the skillet and spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat.
2
Add the diced yellow onion and green bell pepper to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

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