Healthier Homemade Cheesy Gordita Crunch
If you love Taco Bell's Cheesy Gordita Crunch but want a healthier, homemade version you can feel good about, this recipe is for you! This Healthier Homemade Cheesy Gordita Crunch is loaded with protein, veggies, and flavor—hold the processed ingredients. It's the perfect balanced meal for Taco Tuesday (or any night, really!).
Ingredients
Cashew Chipotle Ranch Sauce
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/3 cup unsweetened milk, of choice (I used almond)
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1/8 tsp chipotle powder or chili powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp fresh dill
Cheesy Gordita Crunch
- 1 lb ground beef *can sub a container of extra firm high protein tofu, crumbled
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 large bell pepper, any color
- handful of arugula (optional)
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1/3 cup water (use 1/8-1/4 cup for tofu) *
Assembling
- Vegan or regular dairy mexican shredded cheese
- 8 small tortillas (whole wheat or gluten-free)
- 8 hard taco shells
- shredded romaine
- pico de gallo
- other toppings: guacamole, sour cream, limes, avocado, hot sauce
Instructions
Chipotle sauce
- Simply blend everything in a high powered blender until smooth. Taste & adjust as you'd like. Store in an air-tight container or jar in the fridge.
Cheesy Gordita Crunch
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Make the filling - In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onions and chopped pepper and sauté until soft, 4-5 minutes. Add ground meat or tofu and cook until browned, about 6 minutes. Once cooked through, add the taco seasoning with 1/3 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly around the meat/tofu, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Line the tortillas up on a sheet pan. Sprinkle over a layer of cheese, covering the tortilla. Transfer to the oven and bake 3-4 minutes until the cheese has melted. Remove the tortillas from the oven and place a hard shell in the center of each one (see photos). Bake another 2-3 minutes. Fold the remaining cheesy side onto the hard shell, pressing the shell into the cheese.
- Spoon the veggies & meat into each shell. Top with shredded romaine lettuce, and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. Drizzle over some of the chipotle sauce. Serve immediately with any other toppings - avocado/guacamole, hot sauce, yogurt or sour cream, cilantro, salsa, etc!