Tag Archives: taste alike

May16

Updated Vegetarian Cheesy Gordita Crunches

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Updated Vegetarian Cheesy Gordita Crunches

Hello!! Last year, I began making vegetarian cheesy gordita crunches as an homage to my beloved Taco Bell. It has become a staple in mine and Johnny’s dinner arsenal ever since, which is fine by me because they are so yummy and crazy easy to make. Also, can we talk about how freaking expensive Taco Bell is now? What used to be a constant in my life has quickly become an every once in a while thing because of it. While it saddens me deeply, I have upgraded my at home gordita game quite a bit and truly consider it to be a Taco Bell taste alike. Check it out:

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^^^ Note that Taco Bell doesn’t use sour cream on their gorditas. I love it though and the Daisy sour cream squeeze bottle is perfect for tacos!

Although I miss TBell something fierce, I do find comfort in the fact that some of their products are available in grocery stores like the taco seasoning and Baja sauce. It takes the edge off, but only slightly lol. I have already been using both of these when making my gordita crunches and the real game changer happened when I discovered Old El Paso made nacho cheese shells. My mind was blown during my last curbside order and so was Johnny’s! The nacho cheese cheesy gordita crunch is his go to order at Taco Bell. 🙂

When I made this dish last week, it was definitely the best ever. I love to cook, but I have never made anything that I considered to be even remotely close to a restaurant or fast food chain before. What made it even better was how simple it was to make. This dinner took under a half hour to prepare with minimal work involved. All I did was make the taco meat for Johnny, heat up vegetarian refried beans for me, and melt cheese lol. This is a meal that I am so fine cooking regardless of how busy my day is and the leftovers turn into more easy peasy dinners throughout the week. You can’t beat that!

With some upgraded ingredients, I was able to invoke the taste of Taco Bell from the comfort of my own kitchen. Even if the prices of TBell went down, I will absolutely still be making my taste alike cheesy gordita crunches at home! 😀

Do you have any restaurant or fast food taste alike recipes? What is your favorite dinner to cook? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

 

 

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Aug18

Delicious Guacamole Recipe & Cilantro Lime Rice

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Delicious Guacamole Recipe & Cilantro Lime Rice

Hello! This past Saturday was a very busy one. We visited my mom at the Cleveland Clinic, I cooked up a feast, and watched my niece while her baby sister was born. For dinner, I treated my dad, brother, and Johnny to homemade Cheesy Gordita Crunches. This is the second time that I have made them and the meal turned out excellent. And in the words of Emeril Lagasse, I definitely kicked things up a notch.

The last time I made Taco Bell style Cheesy Gordita Crunches for dinner, I used the beef crumbles by MorningStar. While I didn’t care for it, Johnny liked it well enough so I just decided to use real beef for the guys and vegetarian refried beans for me. I have never cooked ground beef in my life and apparently it turned out good lol. Not that I was surprised because, I hate to toot my own horn, but Johnny says I cook bacon better than someone who eats meat. GREAT SUCCESS! 😀

Not only did I make all of the fixings for our taco dinner but I also prepared some extra additions to enhance the meal. I made a new Pinterest recipe for cilantro lime rice, which can be found here at Downshiftology. I also whipped up a batch of my own personal recipe for guacamole that I think is simply the best. Check it out:

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^^^ Obviously I should have taken a picture of my guac before we chowed down!

Of course, Taco Bell was the source of inspiration for this meal and my life in general. However, I was also trying to serve major Chipotle vibes. The recipe that I used for the cilantro lime rice claims to be a Chipotle taste alike and I completely agree. It. Was. Delicious. The zingy lime and cilantro balanced out the garlic and salt perfectly and I honestly think that I could have ate the entire bowl. I highly recommend making it during your next taco dinner!

I also hate to toot my own horn again but I truly believe that my guacamole is a Chipotle taste alike too. It is SO easy to make with minimal ingredients and tastes divine. This is my recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 2 mashed avocados
  • A small portion of red onion, finely chopped
  • Juice, pulp, and zest from one lime
  • Several sprigs of cilantro
  • Course sea salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste

While you can add anything you please to your guacamole like chopped olive or tomato, I always say that simple is best. All of the different flavors and textures in my recipe blend together so well and that extra dose of lime in the zest and pulp sends it over the top. I also just mash up my avocado with a spoon, which makes it very similar in texture to Chipotle’s, which is definitely more chunky. Now, if only I could make a taste alike for their tortilla chips. YUM!

As you all know, I love cooking for Johnny but it was SO nice to be able to make a meal for my dad and brother too. Cooking soothes my soul and watching people enjoy what I make makes it even better. ❤

What are some of your favorite taste alike recipes? How do you prepare the perfect taco? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah