Easy Vegetarian Chili Casserole

When dinner needs to happen in the time it takes to grate cheese, this is your move. It’s a vegetarian take on Frito pie, layered into a casserole: canned veggie chili, a layer of corn chips, a blanket of cheese, repeated, then baked just until everything is hot and the cheese pulls into strings.

The corn chips are the clever part. Tucked between the layers, the ones touching the chili soften and drink up the sauce while the edges keep a bit of crunch, giving you that soft-meets-crisp texture in every scoop.

Three ingredients, ten minutes of assembly, and no meat required. It’s the kind of thing that rescues a weeknight, feeds a crowd on game day, or wins over picky kids without complaints.

Scoop it straight from the dish, and set out extra corn chips for scooping.

Variations

• Pile on the toppings before serving: sour cream, sliced jalapenos, diced onion, avocado or fresh cilantro.
• Stir a can of black beans or corn into the chili for more heft.
• Use a spicy chili with pepper jack for more heat, or a mild chili and cheddar for the kids.