Slow Cooker Chili Cheese Casserole
109 Comments Feb 23, 2024
Updated Jun 10, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
Table of Contents
Why You Should Try This Chili Casserole with Fritos
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.
Not only is chili cheese casserole a crowd-pleaser, it’s appealing to both kids and adults alike. Not to mention, you can experiment with different types of chips or chili variations to suit your taste preferences or dietary needs. Plus, leftovers taste even better the next day, making it an excellent option for meal prep or enjoying multiple times throughout the week. Another recipe we love to serve for game day along with this is slow cooker barbecue meatballs or slow cooker frito pie!
Recipe 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.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray and sprinkle 1.5 cups of Fritos corn chips to the bottom of the slow cooker.
Step Two – Then spoon over the chili.
Step Three – Then sprinkle over half the onions.
Step Four – Sprinkle over half of the cheese.
Step Five – Spread over all the sour cream.
Step Six – Top with the remaining cheese evenly.
Step Seven – Sprinkle over the remaining onions.
Step Eight – Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours.
Step Nine – Serve with the additional Frito corn chips on top. Enjoy!
How to Serve
- 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 or quinoa in a bowl. Top it with Fritos for crunch, along with your favorite burrito bowl toppings such as shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, sliced olives, and a squeeze of lime juice.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, 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!
Yes, you can prepare the ingredients in advance and store them separately in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to cook, simply layer the chili, cheese, and Fritos in the slow cooker according to the recipe instructions and cook as directed. This makes it convenient for busy days or when you want to have a meal ready to go.
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.
Other chili recipes:
- Slow Cooker Chili Queso
- Slow Cooker Chuck Wagon Chili
- Slow Cooker Texas No Bean Chili
- Slow Cooker Beef Enchilada Chili
- Slow Cooker Wendy’s Copycat Chili
Want to make more magic in your crockpot? Stay up to date and subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.
Slow Cooker Chili Cheese Casserole
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!
How to Video
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.
Do the Fritos get soggy?
Do I understand that the chili can you add should not have beans?
I use canned chili with beans.
I used Chili Fritos. Kicked it up a notch
Can I use another brand of chili???
My stores here don’t carry that one !!!
Thank you
Yes, use any kind you like.
Use any kind of chili you want
Could u do this in the instapot
I believe this is too thick of a recipe for the instant pot.
I have just assembled this in my crock pot. I used a hodge-podge assembley of ingredients.
Ground beef with taco seasoning, fritos ,sour cream, a black of soft cream cheese, Rotella mild tomatoes with chili’s, a can of chili’s, a can of dark red Kidneys, and a can of pinto beans. Shredded Colby jack, white onions and by accident…a can of creamed corn. I ment to buy Chrisp corn!!
It’s cooking now for 2 hours!! I’ll let you know!!
So you completely reworked the recipe so it is no longer recognizable, and then you rated yourself a 5 for your brilliance. Great job.
Why are you posting here? This isn’t the recipe. Why don’t you start your own recipe blog or page. I just think it is incredibly Rude to hijack someone’s recipe and you see it more and more.
She used the recipe as a starting point and made it her own with what she had. That’s how people share recipes. Why are you being rude about her answer? What is rude is when people change the recipe completely and then rate it one or two stars after they never even tried the original recipe.
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.
I’m going to add cut up weiners to this recipe
My slow cookers settings are high for either 4 or 6 hours and then low for 8 or 10 hours. What would you suggest for the time?
You set it for high for 4 hours, set a timer on your phone for 2 hours. Can’t cook it any longer than 2 hours.
Sounds like my Frito Pie with exception of the sour cream, and I don’t use a crockpot. I’m going to make this for our next camping trip.