[1] Frito Chili Pie from Frito-Lay.

[2] Country Living Magazine suggests making individual servings in Mason jars (photo © Country Living Magazine).

[3] RealMomKitchen.com made the prettiest version (photo © Real Mom Kitchen).

[4] In Pillsbury’s elegant version, the chili pie is baked as a casserole. Here’s the recipe (photo © Pillsbury).

Back in 2012, Fritos set the Guinness World Record for the largest-ever Frito Chili Pie: 1,300 pounds of Fritos, chili and cheese. For February 28th, National Chili Day, consider recreating the recipe, scaled down here to human size.

The date varies by year. National Chili Day was founded by Rich Kelly of Arlington, Virginia in 2006. You can enjoy your favorite chili recipe, but we’re taking it one step further, turning the traditional ingredients of a bowl of chili into a “pie.”

Prep time for this Easy Frito Chili Pie is just 5 minutes. It’s comfort food you can make during the commercial breaks during tonight’s Oscars.

If you want to make your own chili, great; but you’ll be spending more than 5 minutes. Here’s a delicious from-scratch recipe from Pillsbury (photo #4).

A bonus for corn chip lovers: There’s also a National Tortilla Chip Day on February 24th; National Corn Chip Day is January 29th. Here’s the difference between tortilla chips and corn chips.

> Fritos History

 
 
RECIPE: EASY FRITO CHILI PIE

If you want to make Frito Chili Pie from scratch, here’s a great recipe from Pillsbury.

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F.

2. SPREAD the corn chips evenly over the bottom of an oven-safe serving dish or pie plate (preferably glass). Heat the chili and pour it evenly over corn chips.

3. SPRINKLE the cheese over the top and pop the pie into the oven to melt the cheese. Remove from the oven, add the garnishes and serve immediately with a serving spoon. Give soup spoons to the participants as well as forks.
 
Want a vegetarian or vegan recipe? Use all-bean chili, or try this recipe, which substitutes tofu for the beef.

 
FRITO CHILI PIE HISTORY

The Fritos brand was born in 1932 when Elmer Doolin of San Antonio, Texas purchased a corn chips recipe from a local producer. He made the first Fritos brand chips in his mother’s kitchen.

The popularity of the corn chips snack was catapulted in 1961, when Doolin joined forces with H.W. Lay & Company to create Frito-Lay.

To help sell more product, Doolin’s mother, Daisy Dean Doolin, created recipes using Fritos as a recipe ingredient. She created the now-famous Fritos Chili Pie.

Two years ago we recommended Modern Oats, a packaging concept that places elegantly-flavored, gluten-free* oatmeal in stylish grab-and-go cups.

All you have to do is add hot water to cover the oats in the coated paper cup. Put the lid back on, wait a few minutes and enjoy. No added sweetener, milk or microwave is required. The colorful designs give a boost to starting the day.

Success has enabled the brand to expand the number of flavors to 10. The lineup now includes:

Cheerful packaging adds to the enjoyment of these delicious flavored oatmeal cups. Photo courtesy Modern Oats.

Coconut Almond, one of 10 flavors. Photo courtesy Modern Oats.

MODERN OATS ARE GOOD OATS

The rolled oats in the containers are grown by family farmers in the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. They are minimally processed by steaming and flaking; you look into the carton and see what looks like “real oats,” instead of the small particles familiar to consumers of instant oatmeal.

Not surprisingly, the oat flakes provide a textural differences that deliver a more solid bite (and, the company says, optimal absorption of nutrients).

Modern Oats are produced in a 100% gluten free facility and are Certified Gluten Free, Non-GMO, Halal, Kosher, Vegan and 100% Whole Grain. (Whew: There’s no more room left on the carton for any more certifications).

Bonus: Oats are the only major grain proven to help blood cholesterol†.

If you can’t find the cups locally (here’s the store locator), buy them on the Modern Oats website.

There’s a four-flavor gift-boxed set; an assortment of flavors makes a nice Easter gift for the nutritionally-focused.
 
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*To be certified gluten-free, they must be processed in a facility that does not also process grains with gluten. In the milling and processing process, oats are susceptible to cross-contamination; so not all oatmeal and other oat products are gluten free.

†Eating three grams of soluble fiber from oats each day, as part of a diet that’s low in fat and cholesterol, has been shown to lower blood cholesterol. This may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Top Chef Sylvain Harribey of the Sofitel New York shares this tip:

When you cook, don’t overcrowd the pan with the ingredients. In a packed pan, foods end up steaming rather than caramelizing. This adds cooking time and subtracts taste.

All ingredients should fit comfortably in one layer. Either use a pan that’s big enough for the job, or cook in batches as necessary.

Need more tips? Head to YouTube and search for basic cooking lessons or specific techniques.
 
SECOND TIP: USE THE RIGHT PAN