National Corn Chip Day

It's at this point in January when winter really starts to get me down. I heard this morning on the news that this is turning out to be one of the worst winters on record in northwest Ohio. I've always thought that I have a bit of Seasonal Affective Disorder and it truly makes February the longest month of the year for me. So, I decided to see if I could be a bit proactive this year.

Maybe celebrating some weird, off-beat holidays this year might help. These kinds of celebrations have always been interesting to me and who doesn't need a little pick-me-up every now and then?

Did you know that today is National Corn Chip Day?

Some background information – In 1932, C.E. Doolin entered a small San Antonio cafe and purchased a bag of corn chips. Little did he know that this snack would soon become on of the nation's most popular snack foods. Mr. Doolin learned that the manufacturer of the chips was eager to sell his small business, so he purchased the recipe for $100, and began to sell Fritos Corn Chips from his Model T Ford. The rest is history!

In honor of National Corn Chip Day how about some Frito Pie for dinner tonight?

Frito Pie
• 1 pound Velveeta cheese, cut in cubes
• 1 can (10 oz.) Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1 package (10 oz.) regular size Fritos
• 2 cans (1 pound, 8 oz. each) chili without beans or about 5 cups homemade chili
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Spray a medium-size baking dish with non-stick spray. Combine the cheese and tomatoes in a saucepan and heat slowly until the cheese melts. Heat the chili in another saucepan. Place half the Fritos in the baking dish. Spoon half the chili over the Fritos. Cover with a layer of cheese sauce. (There will be cheese sauce left over to use as a dip.) Scatter the remaining Fritos over the cheese. Cover with the rest of the chili and sprinkle with the shredded cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

I'm thinkin maybe served like this. . .yummy!

Extra silly fact - Both original and BBQ flavors of Frito Lay corn chips are considered vegan snacks!

Happy National Corn Chip Day!