The King of Pies Still Reigns
Okay, Maybe Not the Actual King
By Jason Jones
Messenger Reporter
EAST TEXAS – This may well be the most unnecessary story I’ve ever written. Fortunately, I’ve found my voice, or at least some reasonable facsimile, and I feel compelled to opine.
Last week as I covered a pumpkin decorating contest, I had a chance meeting with a Booster Club member regarding the concession stand at local football games. Naturally my thoughts went to the traditional fare normally available at said games. “Man, I sure love those Frito™ Pies served in the little bag.”
“We don’t serve them that way anymore.”
It was like a punch in the gut.
Clearly wishing for her name to be left out of the conversation, she identified herself as “Charlie… uh, Smith.”
The only words I could muster were “But…. why?”
“The bags are too small, so we pour two bags into a boat and serve them that way,” said Ms. Uh, Smith.” That made sense to me, as nothing would be more frustrating than a bag containing only a couple of bites.
I was visibly shaken, though, and my new journalistically-influenced brain declared “I’m going to write an expose’!”
A little research pretty much killed that thought. Apparently, Fritos™ are still available in many different serving sizes, including one that would sufficiently serve the needs of a football concession stand. I would guess that the issue might lie with distribution and availability for purchasing in bulk. Either way, there seems to be no sort of vendetta against traditional high school football food.
So my brain went in different directions. Not uncommon considering my short attention span. My new direction would be a tribute, an homage if you will, to one of the great southern staples – the Frito™ Pie.
I am immediately aware that not everyone calls it “Frito™ Pie.” Other monikers come to mind like “chili pie” or “corn chip pie,” but much like southern people asking for a “Coke™” and answering “Dr Pepper™” when asked “what kind?” Frito™ Pie has become the go-to name, regardless of brand or even ingredient.
Frito™ Pie was a staple at my house growing up. My mother would never have allowed a meal to be placed on the table without proper preparation and presentation, so ours was carefully constructed in a casserole dish, layered with the iconic corn chips, chili, and mounds of cheese. Diced onions would be served on the side, as would sliced jalapenos, for her picky-eater kids. I’ve since embraced the jalapenos, but raw onions still don’t sit well with me. The dish would be served, and we’d all scoop out slightly more than we could finish. It was truly a dish to love.
Later in life, I discovered that I also enjoyed the instant construction of the delicacy that didn’t require a casserole dish. This allowed us all to construct our own dish with higher or lower levels of whatever ingredients we loved most. Personally, if cheese is good, more cheese is better. It’s science.
I happened to marry a girl who loves cooking. Angie and I watch all the cooking shows, so I often call her “ICAJ.” It’s a play on Chef Alex Guarnaschelli’s nickname on the Food Channel after winning Iron Chef, “ICAG.” At any rate, at some point the Frito™ Pie fell into her sights. “Let’s amp this up.” We now have several different examples of the classic at our house. Adding tater tots to the mix was a true eye opener. If you’ve never tried this, it’s a game changer.
“But you can get chili cheese tots at the local drive in.” I’m aware. But I’m married to an unofficial Iron Chef. It’s different.
One of her favorite stories is from a college recruiting event she was attending, where she met a gentleman from Canada as he had his first experience with Frito™ Pie. His reaction was as if he was tasting Baked Alaska or Trout Almondine for the first time. “This is amazing! We don’t have anything like this in Canada!”
He got a recipe. There is now Frito™ Pie in Canada. And my wife is a global influencer.
One afternoon we were at a baseball tournament with some friends, and we came across a food stand serving “chip dogs.” I had no clue what a chip dog was, but upon closer inspection, the stand served hot dogs with various types of chips on top. “Hmm. Sounds interesting.” Then we noticed that one of the choices was Cheetos™. Needless to say, after a stop at the grocery store this is what we had for dinner. We split the dogs long way and flat-topped them, then topped them with chili, cheese and Cheetos™. It was a heavenly bite. Lots of heavenly bites.
Later in the evening ICAJ leaned in and whispered, “we’re going to put those Cheetos™ in the Frito™ Pie.”
A legend was born.
Does changing a classic change its status as a classic? I suppose it depends on your perspective. But making something good even better is never a bad thing. I’m thinking adding some roasted garlic might be the next step.
I am so hungry right now.
While the Frito™ Pie in a bag may have left some football venues, I will accept the fact that a larger serving in a boat might be better in some ways. In the end it’s all about nostalgia. So many sights, sounds and smells are associated with a high school sporting event, and none seem expendable.
In the end, though, the Frito™ Pie will thrive. Now excuse me while I go pick up some garlic to roast.
Jason Jones may be reached via email at [email protected]
