This recipe is for when you can’t decide between a quesadilla and a burrito. Just have them both, together! And that’s how the ultimate meat and cheese quesarito recipe is born.

Though not invented by Taco Bell, the quesarito was certainly made famous when they released it back in 2014. And it really just makes sense. Instead of just making a burrito with a plain tortilla, make a burrito using a quesadilla as the delicious cheesy vessel to roll everything up.

This copycat Taco Bell recipe is surprisingly simple to make. There are a few ways you can customize the recipe. But it’s not as hard as you might think to recreate the meal you are used to getting from the drive-thru.

This is my recipe for the ultimate meat and cheese quesarito, which you can enjoy for dinner whenever you’d like. Here’s how to make it at home.

Prep the Quesarito Recipe Fillings

We’re going to make our copycat quesarito recipe using a few other recipes from the site to help us out. If you have another favorite recipe for some of these fillings, then feel free to make those instead.

But, of course, I feel like mine are pretty darn good.

Starting with the ground beef. This was my sort of copycat recipe of Taco Bell’s ground beef. Though it is very much a homemade version. So what better recipe to use than this simple ground beef taco meat?

Next, make some Mexican rice. I made this recipe for Mexican rice in the rice cooker. That way it is very simple to prepare and takes a little less babysitting than traditional rice cooking. But it still packs a ton of flavor.

For a bit of sauce and flavor, prepare some chipotle crema using mostly sour cream and canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

I’ve not included them in my recipe, but pan-fried potato bites could also make a wonderful addition. Just chop, parboil, and then pan-fry them up with some seasonings for another tasty filling.

So, once you’ve got the beef, rice, and sauce ready to go, it’s time to make the quesadilla. 

Build the Quesadilla Shell

Now, we’re going to build our quesadilla.

Start with a large, hot skillet and the biggest tortillas you can get your hands on. The huge tortillas will make a large quesadilla that will be easier to roll and fold up all your fillings.

Toss one tortilla into the pan. Then add an even layer of shredded cheese and a layer of nacho cheese. Note that I just kind of plopped the nacho cheese around. Then when I put the other tortilla on top, I figured that would spread things around evenly.

For the cheese, I suggest choosing one of the following high-moisture melting cheeses: Oaxaca, asadero, queso quesadilla, Monterey Jack, and Colby Jack. However, you can use whatever cheese you prefer to make this. You can even use a mix of different cheeses. I used a mix of Monterey Jack, cheddar, asadero, and queso quesadilla cheese.

Also, know that shredding your own cheese straight off the block is better than pre-shredded cheese in most cases. Pre-shredded stuff usually has added anti-caking things in it that make it a little more difficult to get that perfect melt. But, it definitely isn’t a make-or-break, especially for this recipe. It is more important for cheese sauces like making homemade mac and cheese.

But, perfectly melting cheese is what we aim for in a quesadilla.

Assemble Your Quesarito Recipe

Once the quesadilla is made, gather all of the other ingredients around so we can get to assembling our copycat recipe.

With the quesadilla laid out flat on a plate, start filling it with meat, beans, rice, sour cream, nacho cheese, and chipotle crema. I just kind of randomly piled the fillings in and tried to mix them around a bit so that I don’t get one pocket of a single filling.

Place the ingredients a few inches in from the outer edge. And group the filling on one side of an imaginary diameter of the quesadilla. This will all make it easier to fold and roll the burrito.

Do not overfill the tortilla! That is typically the biggest issue when it gets time to fold it all up. I know all of the ingredients are delicious and so it can be hard to use restraint. But fight the urge to overfill and it will be better in the end. In my opinion, the tortilla looks a little bit empty still when there’s enough room to properly fold it.

Once filled, it’s time to actually roll up your quesarito properly to make sure nothing falls out. Use this guide on how to fold your burrito. It’s one of my most popular pages on the site because it really is a pretty simple step-by-step guide.

Garnish and Serve Your Quesarito

You don’t have to limit yourself just to what goes inside the copycat quesarito recipe. Add some toppings or garnishes to lend even more flavor to this dish.

Use lettuce, sour cream, crema, guacamole, salsa, hot sauce, cilantro, and fresh lime wedges to top it off. You can also drizzle the chipotle crema over top, or try adding some pickled red onions to the mix for a bright, vinegary flavor. Have some beans, rice, street corn, or frijoles charros on the side to complete the meal.

In the end, it’s really about making this your own and deciding what you’d love most inside, on top, and on the side.

And there you have it! You’ve just made the ultimate meat and cheese quesarito recipe.

If you’re feeling like it, try making some Mexican desserts for when you’ve finished your meal. Fried ice cream, churros with dipping sauces, homemade flan, or tres leches cake would each make a delicious dessert.

If you’re looking for something similar to this recipe, check out these other burritos:

• Fully Loaded Breakfast Burrito
• Fried Baja Shrimp Burrito

Whatever you make, enjoy your next meal and let me know how it went.

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try making a quesarito at home! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

Ultimate Meat and Cheese Quesarito (Taco Bell Copycat)

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: Lunch, DinnerDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

5

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

50

minutes

Burrito or quesadilla? Don’t make a decision, just have both with this ultimate quesarito recipe. It’s a Taco Bell copycat recipe that’s easy to make and tastes amazing!

Ingredients

• 10 large flour tortillas

• 3 cups shredded cheese (see above for best varieties)

• 15 ounce can nacho cheese

• 2 pounds ground beef taco meat

• 2 cups Mexican rice

• 16 ounce can refried beans

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1 cup chipotle crema

Directions

• Add a tortilla to a large frying pan over medium heat
• Spread a layer of shredded cheese and nacho cheese onto the tortilla
• Place another tortilla on top of the layer of cheeses and let it heat until the cheese has nearly melted then flip it over to finish cooking until everything is melted
• Repeat steps 1-3 to prep all of the quesadillas
• With the quesadillas done, add layers of beef, beans, rice, nacho cheese, sour cream, and chipotle crema to the lower half of the quesadilla
• Fold in the sides, fold up the bottom and then roll the burrito up, see burrito folding instructions if needed
• Garnish and serve as desired

Get recipes like this straight to your inbox:

The post The Ultimate Meat and Cheese Quesarito Recipe (Taco Bell Copycat) appeared first on Do You Roux?.

Simple yet versatile and delicious, this ground beef taco meat recipe can be paired with just about any kind of taco shell you want. Transform your tacos by learning how to make this easy ground beef taco meat. The homemade taco seasoning is a great way to add extra flavor to your tacos, burritos, or nachos.

I love making large batches of this early in the week and then using leftovers throughout the week in various meals. It keeps well in the fridge for around six days.

Start with some quality ground beef. I ended up using some 85-15 ground beef from Costco and cooked up a few batches of taco meat. We then went on to use it in about 5 separate meals.

Serve this in tacos alongside some Mexican rice, elotes (grilled Mexican street corn), and frozen mint lemonade for a complete meal that will please the palate.

The Best Taco Seasoning for Tacos without Added Sugar or Corn Syrup

After browning the ground beef, it is time to start adding in some seasoning and flavor.

Many premade taco seasoning mixes contain some form of added sugar. Sugar is relatively cheap and used as a preservative, flavor enhancer, and to prevent the spices from clumping. The good news is that you can make your own taco seasoning mix without any added sugars.

And, in my opinion, seasoning taco meat with your own mix of spices and ingredients will taste better than any store-bought one. I’ve put together the best taco seasoning recipe for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, and more.

Garlic, paprika, cumin, chili powder, Mexican oregano, salt, and pepper, combine with the beef and a few tablespoons of tomato paste. If you don’t have access to Mexican oregano, then regular oregano can be a good substitute. What most of us typically refer to as simply oregano is a Mediterranean/Italian herb. Mexican oregano comes from Mexico and Central America. They have slightly different flavors with Mexican oregano having more citrus-like notes.

How to Use This Taco Meat Recipe

Well, the most obvious use case for ground beef taco meat would be in tacos.

Get some taco shells or tortillas and then start layering in the flavored goodness. Start with this ground beef taco meat and then add in salsa, sour cream, cilantro, guacamole, chipotle crema, refried beans, nacho cheese, shredded cheese, and shredded lettuce.

And if you decide to roll this up in a burrito, make sure to check out how to fold a burrito for the best tips.

Tip – use some herb scissors on washed lettuce to easily make homemade shredded lettuce. I would also highly recommend pairing your tacos with Cholula hot sauce. It is my favorite. Just enough heat, with a ton of extra flavor.

But you can also make use of this taco meat recipe in any of the following meals:

• Meat and Cheese Quesarito
• Fully Loaded Nachos
• Beef, Bean, and Cheese Burritos
• Taco Soup
• Simple Tostadas
• Cheesy Taco Dip
• Taco Salad

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try out ground beef taco meat! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

Easy Ground Beef Taco Meat

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: Dinner, LunchDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Total time

30

minutes

This quick and easy ground beef taco meat recipe can be cooked up and served in tacos, burritos, nachos, tostada, or taco salad

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 4 tablespoons tomato paste

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika

• 1/2 tablespoon cumin

• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

• In a frying pan over medium heat, brown the ground beef using the vegetable oil for about 7 to 10 minutes
• Once the beef is browned, use a turkey baster, large spoon, or measuring cup to drain most of the excess liquid from the beef – leave a few tablespoons to help the seasonings mix in
• Add in all remaining ingredients and mix it all together
• Heat everything in the frying over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes until the beef is fully cooked through and thoroughly mixed in with the seasonings
• Serve the ground beef taco meat with taco shells and toppings or another preferred meal

Get recipes like this straight to your inbox:

The post Easy Ground Beef Taco Meat Recipe appeared first on Do You Roux?.

Holidays, relationships, family, and traditions. When we were first married, I learned some of my wife’s family holiday traditions just as she learned some of mine. And one of her family’s biggest Christmas traditions was a huge family dinner featuring their lasagna recipe.

Though I’d had lasagna before, to me it was just another meal. But for her, it is a symbol of family and traditions. And so it became an important meal to learn how to make properly.

Many times my wife and I will work together in a tag team to make this recipe.

I will start off boiling the water, browning the beef, and seasoning the sauce. Then when it is all prepped, my wife will then start assembling the lasagna layer by layer. Together we throw it in the oven, make a few sides, and enjoy a family meal.

Simple Lasagna Recipe

Lasagna is all about the layers. Meat in a tomato sauce, noodles, and cheese. Lots and lots of cheese.

It starts with cooking the meat and doctoring up the tomato sauce. Adding in some garlic, onion, and herbs really helps up the sauce game.

Cook the noodles while the meat is browning and make sure all your mozzarella and parmesan are shredded and ready to go. Then it is a matter of layering and baking.

The number of layers you get may depend on how deep your pan is, but most 9 x 13 pans should fully fit this recipe. I recommend having a kind of assembly area set up with your pan in the center and all of the layer ingredients nearby. Then just stack up all the layers basically until your ingredients are gone.

Once you’ve layered and baked it right, you’ll have a dish oozing with cheesy flavor and packed with perfectly seasoned sauce.

Bread and Other Accompaniments

Maybe more than any other food, my wife loves bread. So I guess it just makes sense that this lasagna recipe goes perfectly with bread of all varieties. The bread is great to mop up the leftover red sauce as you eat the lasagna. Because you don’t want any of that to go to waste.

Pair this with any kind of bread – dinner rolls, garlic knots, garlic bread, cheesy bread, focaccia, ciabatta, sourdough…

But bread is not the only pairing for lasagna. For other side dishes, try any of the following:

• Roasted Asparagus
• Caesar Salad
• Garlic Butter Sauteed Green Beans
• Simple Side Salad

So bring your favorite bread and side to join in with this delicious oven dish.

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try out this lasagna recipe! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

Rodda Family Christmas Three-Cheese Lasagna

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: DinnerDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Total time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Family favorite three-cheese lasagna recipe with a deliciously flavored meat sauce, tons of gooey cheese, and a perfectly browned top

Ingredients

• 1 package lasagna noodles (16 oz)

• 3 pounds ground beef

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 small yellow onion, diced

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 2 teaspoons dried basil

• 2 teaspoons dried thyme

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

• 4 cups prepared tomato sauce

• 3 cups cottage cheese

• 3 cups shredded mozzarella

• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan

• 9 oz fresh mozzarella

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
• Set a large pot of salted water over high heat, bring it to a boil, add in the lasagna noodles, and cook until al dente according to package directions
• While the water is heating, brown the beef in a large skillet over medium heat
• Drain the fat from the beef after it has fully browned
• Add the garlic, onion, oregano, basil, thyme, and parsley to the beef and cook for 3 to 5 minutes while stirring
• Pour the tomato sauce over the beef, stir to combine, and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Get a 9″ x 13″ baking pan and gather together the cooked noodles, beef in red sauce, and various cheeses to begin assembly
• Spread about 1/2 cup of meat and sauce into the bottom of the pan
• Place down noodles in an even layer to cover the meat sauce
• On top of the noodles, evenly spread about 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups of the meat in red sauce
• On top of the meat sauce, evenly spread about 1 cup shredded mozzarella, 1 cup cottage cheese, and 1 tablespoon parmesan
• Repeat steps 8 through 10 two more times for a total of three layers of each ingredient
• Add one more layer of noodles on top of the cheese, spread the remaining meat sauce over the noodles, and then cover it with an even layer of fresh mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• Place it in the oven to bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the cheese on top is fully melted and bubble
• For slight browning on top when it has finished baking, switch your oven to broil and let the lasagna broil for about 3 minutes until the cheese on top is nicely browned – watch it carefully to avoid burning
• Let the lasagna cool for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving

Get recipes like this straight to your inbox:

The post Rodda Family Christmas Three-Cheese Lasagna Recipe appeared first on Do You Roux?.