It is the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas is here and your kids are home for an extended period of time, leaving moms all over the country wondering what to fix their bottomless pits for dinner.
Charissa Jones, wife, and mother of two ten and under, wanted to leave our readers with an exciting recipe that anyone, young and old, are sure to gobble up. It’s simple and tasty, and the leftovers are perfect for lunch the next day.
Lawson (10) and Harper (8) keep Charissa and her husband, Matt, pretty busy with extracurricular activities during the school year. From football to friendship bracelets, these two are always up to something. Most nights for the Jones family are spent at a ball field, followed by showers and bedtime.
“We love watching our kiddos grow into their personalities and watching their talents really begin to show,” shared Charissa.
During the day, Charissa is what she calls a “business bestie” who helps entrepreneurs work less in their business and more on it. She comes alongside business owners to help them through their strategic marketing operations. She is able to work from home so that she can easily shuffle kids around while her husband is out of town working. He is an airline pilot.
“We place a priority on eating together. All meals are together when Daddy isn’t traveling. If he’s out of town, we love to FaceTime him,” Charissa shared. “Some nights, grandparents come over for dinner. Family time is something we prioritize, and meals are an easy way to do that!”
The recipe Charissa wanted to share is Frito Pie. While this Mexican-style casserole might not be a traditional holiday meal for most, it holds a lot of wonderful childhood memories for Charissa.
“My mom made me Frito Pie as a child, and it was always a treat. We never even kept Fritos in the house except for the special times my mom planned to make this dish,” reminisced Charissa. “It is something my mom remembered her dad making for them growing up.”
This recipe is most definitely budget-friendly, easy to tweak with ingredients already found in the pantry, can be altered for those picky eaters, and makes enough to feed a small army.
Charissa and her family are looking forward to all their time together this month.
“We look forward to spending time with our family and friends. We love getting a hot drink, driving around, and looking at Christmas lights! It’s a fun activity we do many times during the season,” Charissa said. “It’s the quality time and memories spent together that matter most!”
Frito Pie
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1 diced onion
- 1 packet of taco seasoning
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 (10 ounce) can of Rotel diced tomatoes and chilies
- 1 (15 ounce) can of tomato sauce
- 15 ounce can of drained red kidney beans OR pinto beans
- 1 bag of Fritos (standard size)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese
Optional Toppings: Sour Cream or Plain Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup sliced green onions, Diced tomatoes, Jalapenos
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 9×13 pan.
- Sauté onions in avocado oil until translucent, then add ground beef and brown. Stir in taco seasoning, chili powder and water.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Mix in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn and beans. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add a light layer of corn chips to the bottom of the prepared pan and cover with a cup of cheese.
- Spread ingredients from the simmering pan over top and add remaining cheese.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Add additional chips to the top after removing from the oven and top with preferred additional toppings.
