There are many – many – copycat recipes for “Cheesy Gordita Crunch,” most more scientific than need be. Taco Bell’s soft/crunchy handfeld is simple by design (one would hope) and you can assemble it yourself in minutes.
Ground meat (we went the alternate route with Beyond)
Taco seasoning of your liking
Refried beans (optional)
Soft flour tortillas, the size of a hard taco shell
Shredded cheese of your choosing
Hard taco shells
Queso (alternatively more cheese)
Ranch sauce or sour cream
Iceberg lettuce
Diced tomatoes (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 °F (190 °C).
Prepare ground meat in a pan with taco seasoning; warm up refried beans.
Add a layer of shredded cheese on the tortilla(s) – bake until cheese is melted.
Meanwhile, stuff hard taco shell(s):
Beans
Ground meat
Queso
Ranch or sour cream
Wrap a tortilla around the shell and give it a gentle squeeze so it sticks together. Return to oven and bake for a couple of minutes.
When ready, top with lettuce and tomatoes.
Really, if you go any more highfalutin than that, you no longer have a proper Cheesy Gordita Crunch. It’s Taco Bell – how fancy should it really be? For something a step above, try these chuck roast tacos.