Frito Pie

I first had Frito Pie at the Woolworth's in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which was famous for possibly being the birthplace of this awesome dish. Sadly, the Woolworth's is long gone, but then again, so am I from New Mexico, so I guess we're even.

This is my super-easy version I make ALL THE TIME. It's great for large parties, because I can just leave the meat on the stovetop or in a crockpot on low heat with all the toppings nearby and people can help themselves.

Ingredients:

Fritos (if you want to be totally authentic, get the little snack bags and serve the pie directly in the bag.)
1 lb. ground sirloin
1 1/2 cups Kick-Ass Red Chile Sauce

Toppings:
sweet onion, chopped
tomato, chopped
extra-sharp cheddar, grated
cilantro, chopped
Mexican crema (you can swap in creme fraiche, as I did here)

Brown the beef over medium-high heat, about 7 minutes. Ground sirloin is not as fatty as regular ground beef, so often there will be little to drain off. If there is fat in the pan you want to get rid of, scoot all the meat to one end of the pan then tip it so the fat separates out. Use a clean dry paper towel to wick up the fat.
Add the chile sauce and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer until there is almost no liquid left in the pan, approximately 10 minutes.

To assemble:
Fritos first, then meat, then whatever you want on top.

Serves 4 polite eaters, 3 hungry ones, 2 beasts.