Chili Cheese Casserole
111 CommentsUpdated Mar 11, 2026
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Slow Cooker Chili Cheese Casserole is everything comfort food should be. Chili, sour cream, cheese and Fritos come together to make an amazing casserole. This is one your family is sure to ask for time and time again.
Other easy canned chili recipes are my cream cheese chili dip or chili queso dip.
Featured Comment
“This is one of my family’s favorite dinners. Since my daughter is a vegetarian, I use Stagg Vegetarian 4 Bean Garden chili. It contains peppers, tomatoes, and corn. It works really well for this recipe.”
– Patty
Chili casserole with Fritos is a delicious and quick dish that combines the rich flavors of chili, melted cheese, and crunchy Fritos into a comforting and satisfying meal. It’s perfect for cozy evenings or gatherings with friends and family. Easy to prepare, this dish involves layering chili, Fritos, and cheese in a baking dish before baking until bubbly and golden.
Another recipe we love to serve for game day along with this is slow cooker barbecue meatballs or slow cooker frito pie!
Key Ingredients
Frito Chips: The original corn chips work best for this recipe; however, you can also use different flavors to switch things up a bit.
Canned chili: I use Nalley Original, but you can use any brand you prefer. You can also use leftover crockpot chili.
Shredded cheddar cheese: I recommend using block cheese and shredding it yourself. Bags of pre-shredded cheese typically have a caking agent on them that prevents the cheese from melting properly.
Diced white onion: Adds both crunch and flavor to this delicious appetizer.
Sour cream: Helps create a slightly creaminess to the dish as well as a classic chili taste.
How to Make Chili Cheese Casserole
- Layer everything right in the crockpot like a cheesy chili stack.
- Heat until hot and melty, then scoop and crunch.
My Serving Tips
Here are some ways to eat this chili casserole up:
- Turn your casserole dish into a crowd-pleasing appetizer or game day snack by serving it alongside a variety of toppings such as diced tomatoes, jalapenos, and black olives for extra flavor and color. Serve with sides of guacamole, salsa, and sour cream for even more options.
- Transfer the casserole to a serving dish and use it as a hearty dip for Fritos or tortilla chips. Garnish with chopped cilantro, diced avocado, green onions, and a drizzle of hot sauce for a festive touch.
- Serve the slow cooker chili cheese casserole over cooked rice. Top it with Fritos for crunch, along with your favorite burrito bowl toppings such as shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes,and sour cream
Chili Cheese Casserole Recipe
How to Video
Ingredients
- 9.25 oz. bag fritos
- 30 oz. Nalley Original Chili
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 16 oz. sour cream
- 1/2 cup diced white onion
Instructions
- Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray. Sprinkle 1.5 cups of fritos to the bottom of the slow cooker. Then spoon over the chili. Then sprinkle over half the onions. Sprinkle over half of the cheese. Spread over all the sour cream. Top with the rest of the cheese and onions.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.
- Serve with the additional fritos on top. Enjoy!
Sarah’s Notes
- You can use any type of chili that you prefer or have on hand. Whether it’s ground beef, turkey, vegetarian, or even a spicy variant, the choice is yours. You can also adjust the seasoning and spice level to suit your taste preferences. Don’t hesitate to use your own homemade chili too!
- To store leftovers, transfer any remaining portions to an airtight container once they have cooled to room temperature. Refrigerate the container for up to 3-4 days for optimal freshness and flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
What other chili recipes to make in the slow cooker
Skip the fast food line and make your own Wendy’s Chili Recipe at home—it’s savory, satisfying, and slow cooker friendly.
Rich and meaty, Homemade Hot Dog Chili is the perfect topping for hot dogs, fries, or nachos.
With warm spices and a unique blend of ingredients, Crockpot Cincinnati Chili is perfect served over spaghetti and topped your way.
Try a fall twist with Pumpkin Chili, where hearty beans and beef meet cozy pumpkin puree and chili seasoning.
Love the easy recipe for the chili cheese casserole…thanks for sharing. Question – can I use tater tots instead?
That’s a great question! That would be a totally different recipe, but sounds so good. I think it would need a little more time if the tots are frozen. It think I do 5 hours on low for my tater tot casseroles.
I agree with your opinion !!
This looks so delicious, too bad the temp isn’t currently in the 100’s.
I thought it was very good I actually just spooned it over fritos versus sprinkling on top which if you eat soon after chips stay crispy but definitely very good!
Glad you liked it!
Super disappointed in this. The fritos at the bottom were mushy and the ones at top were stale after being cooked. Will just cook the chili next time and prepare when ready to eat.
Well, per the recipe, you don’t add the fritos on top until after it’s cooked. But I kind of thought that the ones on the bottom would be mush. I’m thinking in the oven for about 30 minutes might be more successful but the flavor combination sounds delicious.
Don’t put Fritos on it until it is done cooking. Put them in a bowl and add them after you dipr serving out. Won’t be stale then. Also, probably be good with chopped green onion added and chopped tomato after finished cooking. My bunch would also add ranch. Actually I have this recipe in crockpot now. Anxious to taste it.
The Fritos on the bottom are supposed to mimic cooked cornmeal like you’d find on a tamala, so yeah, they’re “mushy”.
I think Pat meant the ones added to the top (in the video). Yeah, obviously, the ones on bottom would be “mushy”.
We’re preparing this right now, on top of a thin layer of Pinto Beans from last night.
Can you cook it in the oven if you don’t have a crockpot?
Yes, I’ve seen oven versions of this.
What would the temp be in the oven and how long
350 degees, 20 minutes, or until bubbly on the sides
Yummy yummy making this today..tks for sharing..
Can you tell me how you arrived at 489mg of sodium per serving? The Fritos, 2 cans of Nalley’s Chili & 3 cups of shredded cheese is over 8000 mg of sodium. The sour cream would add another couple hundred or so. I’d say the amount of servings in this recipe would be 4-6. Unless the portions are miniscule, there’s been a mistake.
Thank you for pointing that out, I went to look and prove you wrong, but the chili had and error and wasn’t in those calculations. I fixed it. The recipes serves about 8, and the sodium is 488 per serving. I use a program that calculates the nutrition.
So when will that be reflected on the “Nutrition Facts?.” Even 8 servings will be over 1000 mg. per serving.
Sodium troll
Can I substitue the fritos for doritos??
Yes u can but u may want to add a few more chips due to the fact they are so thin
We call this Frito Pie. At sports concession stands (school sports, Little League, etc.) they turn a small bag of Fritos sideways and cut it open all the way across, put a spoonful of chili, handful of cheese, and stick a plastic spoon in it. I saw a lady on one blog say she’d never seen it until she moved to Texas. Not sure where she was from, but I was surprised. Because you’re right, it’s the ultimate comfort food! Yummy recipe.
Warning, the chili cheese casserole is EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE, prepare at your own risk
Where can you by this brand of chili?
TIA
Looks like great comfort food! I really love your recipes & I’m really relying on my crockpot during my first trimester (all day sickness) and your website is full of great recipes!
My question about this one, is do the Fritos on the bottom layer stay crunchy?
TIA
They are more like a enchilada texture, so not crisp. Though some places they were crispy along the edges.