For the last 2 weeks I've been eating like a spoiled East Coast queen - Nantucket has some of the best seafood in the world, hands down. Now that's I'm back in the real world, however, it's about time to get back to my roots and do some old fashioned, home-style Texas cooking. For anyone that's never had a frito pie, prepare to have your mind blown. It's one of the grossest, yet most delicious Texas staples out there - it's not actually a "pie" of any sort, it's a really delicious southern style chili served in a bag of fritos and topped with onions, cheddar cheese, and sour cream. Looking beyond the calorie-bomb of toppings, the chili part is actually pretty good for you - very spicy and delicious. Making the chili isn't at all hard; I took this particular recipe from the Homesick Texan (another Texas blogger that loves all things from home, but lives in NYC and blogs mostly about food - she's even got her own cookbook). You CAN eat this Texas delicacy out of a bowl like a normal person, but it's not frito pie if you don't eat it right out of the bag, preferably with a plastic spoon. Seriously, try it... it's gross, but SO good at the same time. Makes me nostalgic for my younger days in TX...

Directions:

1. Make the chili in a big cast iron skillet - follow this recipe from The Homesick Texan by clicking here.

2. When it's done, pour the chili into each bag of fritos.

3. Top with diced onions, shredded cheddar cheese, jalapeños, and sour cream. Or, you can skip all of this if you're trying to make it "healthier" - but then again, there's really no point to eating frito pie if you don't go all out and eat it as it was meant to be eaten. Grab a spoon and dig in, people. This one is a winner.

Frito Pie photo from Steamy Kitchen