Frito Pie Burger

Dear Lauren,

This is Dad's creation. It reminds him of Texas and as you know...

he misses Texas.

As a 5th generation Texan, he is proud of his heritage.

I think he counts Frito Pie as part of his heritage.

Here's his newest variation on the Frito Pie. The Frito Pie Burger.

Tastes like home.

Frito Pie Burger
by Dad



2 pounds lean ground beef
Kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
8 sesame seed buns, toasted
cheddar cheese, 8 slices or about 1 cup grated
1 sweet onion, sliced, preferably Texas 10/15, but Hawaiian, Vidalia, or a local sweet onion will do
pickled jalapeno slices, between 4 & 10 per burger, how hot do you like it?
a bag of Fritos
1 can chili, Wolf brand, no beans (Texas chili has no beans, per Dad!!!!!)

Dad grinds his own ground beef. I'll have to write to you about that on another day. His ground beef is pretty lean. If you're buying it at the store, you can get 80/20 for the most flavor or 93/7 if you're watching your fat intake. Or any kind of ground meat you like. It all works.

As a Texan, Dad loves Wolf brand chili. He grew up with it. He says it's the only option for Frito Pie. So get out a saucepan and heat up the Wolf brand chili over medium low heat till good and hot.

Heat a skillet over medium heat or fire up the grill. Dad's been using something called The Burger Machine to shape his patties for years. They don't even sell it any more! You can shape yours any way you like but I thought this was a great way to do it without buying a new gadget. Or you can just shape them into patties with your hands. They don't have to be perfect! Add a little salt and pepper to each side of your burger. Or you can mix it right into the meat. But you don't want to over-handle the meat because it affects the tenderness of the burger.

While you're frying or grilling your burger to desired doneness, toast your buns.

To assemble, place your bun on a plate and add your burger patty. Add a slice of cheddar cheese, onion slices, jalapeno slices, Fritos, and pour a little (or a lot) of the chili on top. Eat. I have to admit, I'm not the biggest Frito Pie fan in the world. But I really did love this burger!

Love,