Texas Straw Hats

Texas Straw Hats

from southernliving.com
Entree
25 min
6 servings

Similar to a Frito pie, a Texas Straw Hat refers to a dish consisting of corn chips topped with chili (o beans). The name is thought to derive from the tortilla chips resembling a hat.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp.olive oil
  • 1 ⅓ lb.85% lean ground round
  • 1 mediumyellow onion (about 8 oz.), chopped
  • 1 mediumgreen bell pepper (about 6 oz.), chopped
  • ⅓ cuptomato paste
  • 1 tbsp.chili powder
  • 1 ½ tsp.kosher salt
  • 1 ½ tsp.garlic powder
  • 1 tsp.ground cumin
  • ½ tsp.smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp.dried oregano
  • 1 cupwater
  • ½ cupdrained petite-diced canned tomatoes
  • 12 oz.corn chips (such as fritos) or tortilla chips
  • 6 oz.colby jack cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
  • chopped scallions (optional)

Directions

  1. 1

    Gather all ingredients.

  2. 2

    Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add oil to pan and swirl to coat. Crumble beef into pan and add onion and bell pepper. Cook until beef is cooked through and vegetables are tender, stirring frequently to crumble beef, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook until paste darkens and smells toasty, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in water and tomatoes and cook until sauce thickens, 5 to 8 minutes.

  3. 3

    Arrange 2 ounces chips on each of 6 plates. Top each serving with about 3/4 cup beef mixture and 1/4 cup cheese. Top with scallions, if desired.