Frito Pie— Skillet or Walking Taco

For Skillet Pie:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and preheat the skillet. Set your 10-inch cast iron in the oven to get warm before you build. A cold pan robs heat from the cheese and steams the chips instead of crisping them.
2. Wake up the chili. Bring the cold chili to a low simmer with the stock or beer. Stir gently — don't boil hard. Simmer 5–7 minutes until it moves freely and steam rises off the surface. Taste, then season.
3. Cheddar down first. Spread half the grated cheddar across the bottom of the preheated skillet. Insulator layer — it shields the chips from the wet chili above.
4. Chips over cheese. Add the Fritos in an even layer, un-crushed. Never put the chili down first.
5. Chili over chips. Spoon the warmed chili evenly across the Fritos.
6. Second cheese layer. Scatter the remaining cheddar over the chili.
7. Onion and jalapeño on top. Lay the diced onion and sliced jalapeños on before it bakes, so they soften and roast into the melt instead of sitting cold on a finished pie. No sautéing.
8. Bake. Into the 350°F oven for 10 minutes, until the cheese is just melted and bubbling at the edges. Avoid the broiler — slow heat keeps the chips crisp underneath.
9. Serve. Straight from the pan, within the first 10 minutes.

For Walking Taco:

1. Cut the bag. Using kitchen shears, cut the bag lengthwise from end to end down one side so it opens flat into a wide boat. Don't tear the top off — you want a loading surface, not a narrow tube.
2. Warm the chili. Bring the chili to a low simmer until it moves freely and steams. Taste, then season.
3. Cheddar down first. Scatter the grated cheddar across the bottom of the open bag. Insulator layer.
4. Chips. Even layer of Fritos, un-crushed.
5. Chili. Spoon the warmed chili over the Fritos. This is the base of the bag — the queso is a finish, not the filling.
6. Second cheese layer. Scatter the remaining cheddar over the chili.
7. Onion on top. Diced onion goes on before the queso so it mingles into the warm layers rather than sitting raw on the surface.
8. Queso drizzle. Warm the chorizo queso over low heat with the milk until it pours. High heat splits it and turns it greasy. Drizzle in a steady stream over the chili — it should read yellow from the chorizo, not white.
9. Top and serve. Sliced pepperoncini over the top, then tuck a spoon into the bag. A fork loses half the filling.