Copycat Recipes: Taco Bell Mexican Pizza

 

Ingredients:

Servings: 

4

 

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon diced minced onion
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder (Spanish is best)
2 tablespoons water
8 flour tortillas (6 "inch")
1 cup cooking oil
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1/3 cup diced tomato
2/3 cup mild picante sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup sliced black olives

Directions:

1  Cook the ground beef over medium heat until brown, then drain.
 

2  Return meat to pan and add the salt, onions, paprika, chili powder and water.
 

3  Let mixture simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often.
 

4  Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat.
 

5  When oil is hot, fry each tortilla for about 30-45 seconds per side and drain on paper towels.
 

6  Be sure to pop any bubbles that form when frying so that the tortilla lays flat in the oil.
 

7  Tortillas should become golden brown.
 

8  Heat refried beans.
 

9  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
 

10  Stack each pizza by first spreading 1/3 C beans on one tortilla.
 

11  Next add 1/3 C meat, then another tortilla.
 

12  Top the second tortilla with 2 T of salsa.
 

13  Divide the tomato, cheese, onions and olives evenly and top in that order.
 

14  Bake for 8-12 minutes.

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/taco-bell-mexican-pizza-copycat-25999

Taco Bell Debuts 'First Meal' in 10 States

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/20/taco-bell-first-meal_n_1218721.html?ref=fast-food

Taco Bell is known as the fast food joint for your "fourth meal". Now they are rolling out "first meal," more commonly known as breakfast. The OC Register reports that after five years(!) of testing, Taco Bell will debut the 11-item breakfast line in 750 restaurants in 10 states. By 2014, the chain hopes to have 5,800 units serving breakfast.

Breakfast items include Cinnabon Delights (fried dough balls with cream filling), four types of breakfast burritos, hash browns and a sausage and egg wrap. The chain is also testing better-for-you items such as oatmeal and yogurt parfaits.

Although Taco Bell is getting into the breakfast game behind many other fast food chains, the company hopes to "steal marketshare from the growing number of quick-service chains offering breakfast, including category leader McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's," reports Nation's Restaurant News.

"First meal" is part of a larger menu refresh attempt by the chain. The chain is currently testing its "Cantina Bell" menu, which could start appearing by the end of the year. It is aimed at a slightly more upmarket audience and will include dishes such as black beans, cilantro rice and grilled corn salsa (i.e. Chipotle Mexican Grill, but with fast food diners in mind).

Fast Food Best Choices: Nutrition at Fast Food Restaurants

Subway

Subway is proud to advertise 7 sandwiches with under 6 grams of fat. Because they offer these lowfat, nutrient dense options, when you have a choice of fast food, stop at Subway first. Even if choosing one of their less-lean meat sandwiches, having them hold the mayo and oil can reduce the calories and fat.
Nutritional Information
Best Choices: any of the "7 Under 6" sandwiches. The lowest calorie sub is the Veggie De-lite, 200 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 37 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams protein.
Best Low Carb Diet Choices: any of the "7 under 6" salads, with either oil and vinegar dressing or the fat-free Italian dressing.

Wendy's

Nutrition Information
Best Choices
Caesar Side Salad (no dressing or croutons): 70 calories, 4 grams fat, 2 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams protein, 45% Vitamin A, 30% Vitamin C. Use the Fat Free French dressing (80 calories, 19 grams carbohydrates, 0 fat) or one of the reduced fat dressings. For those on a low carb diet, the caesar dressing is the best option, it adds only 1 gram of carbohydrate, has 16 grams fat, 150 calories.
Grilled Chicken Sandwich: 300 calories, 8 grams fat, 36 grams carbohydrate, 24 grams protein. Exchanges: 2 starch, 3 very lean meat, 1/2 high fat meat. For those on a low carb diet, ask for the grilled chicken without the bun and add it to the caesar side salad.
Small Chili: 227 calories, 7 grams fat, 21 grams carbohydrate, 15 grams protein, 5 grams fiber. Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 high fat meat, 1 very lean meat. This is acceptable for Phase 2 of the South Beach Diet.
Sour Cream and Chive Potato: 370 calories, 5 grams fat, 73 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams protein, 60% Vitamin C, 20% iron. Exchanges: 5 starch, 1 fat.

McDonalds

Nutrition of McDonalds USA Menu
Best Choices
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad: 100 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 3 grams carbohydrate, 17 grams protein, 1 vegetable exchange and 2 very lean meat exchanges. Choose one of the fat free or reduced fat dressings. This is also acceptable for low carb diets.

Burger King

Nutrition Tables
Best Choices:
Chicken Whopper Jr.: 344 calories, 14 grams fat, 31 grams carbohydrates, 23 grams protein. Exchanges: 3 starch, 2.75 meat (very lean). Without mayo: deduct 9 grams fat and 80 calories.
Whopper Jr. - order without mayo or cheese: 317 calories, 13 grams fat, 32 grams carbohydrate, 16 grams protein. Exchanges: 1.75 starch, 2 meat (high fat).
Low Carb Diet Choices: Chicken Caesar Salad (no croutons) 220 calories, 5 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams fat, 3 grams fiber, 35 grams protein, no trans fat. With Italian Lite dressing, add 4 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fat, 50 calories. With Creamy Caesar dressing, add 4 grams carbohydrate, 140 calories, 13 grams fat, no trans fat.
Side Garden Salad: 25 calories, 5 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 0 fat, 1 gram protein.
Order Chicken Whopper or Chicken Whopper Junior without mayo, then toss the bun.

Taco Bell

Nutrition Guide
Best Choice
To reduce fat and calories for any item, order it "Fresco Style" to replace the cheese and dressings with fresh fiesta salsa.
Taco: 170 calories, 10 grams fat, 9 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrate, .5 bread, 1 meat, 1 fat.
Low Carb Diets: Order any of the chicken items Fresco Style and without sour cream, then don't eat the tortilla or shell.

Screw the McRib: Bring Back These 5 Discontinued Fast Food Items

From The Village Voice
http://www.villagevoice.com/
By Lauren Shockey Tue., Nov. 1 2011 at 2:54 PM

If you haven't been watching television, reading any food blogs, or paying visits to McDonald's recently, you might not know that the cult favorite McRib sandwich is back. The sandwich stuffs a pork patty (sorry, no actual ribs) into a bun, topping it with with barbecue sauce, onions, and pickles, and will be available at the fast-food chain until November 14. Good news for McRib fans, but what about other discontinued fast-food eats? Can we get a limited time run for these following five favorites:  

5. McDonald's Arch Deluxe: The Arch Deluxe sandwich was a quarter pound of beef on a split-top sesame seed bun topped with a circular piece of peppered bacon, leaf lettuce, tomato, American cheese, onions, ketchup, and a secret mustard and mayonnaise sauce. It was developed to appeal to "grown-up" tastes, but ultimately flopped due to the high price. Whatever, if New Yorkers are willing to pay $26 for the Black Label burger at Minetta Tavern, it's likely they'd cough up again for a pricier fast-food sandwich.

4. Taco Bell's BLT Soft Taco: True, Taco Bell might not be Fork in the Road's favorite fast-food chain, but this dish -- which, naturally, combines the fillings of a BLT into a soft taco -- was one of the better dishes that the quasi-Mexican fast-food chain created, and reminds us fondly of our childhood. But alas, it's now been replaced by dishes like tacos made with none other than Doritos shells.

3. Burger King's Firecracker TenderCrisp: Also championed as an upscale alternative, the TenderCrisp took a breaded, deep-fried chicken fillet and served it with mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato on a brioche bun. The Firecracker version, though, swapped out mayonnaise for a lightly smoky, bold spicy sauce.

2. Arby's Polar Swirl: Essentially the Arby's equivalent of a Dairy Queen Blizzard, the Polar Swirls were shakes with candy and cookie mix-ins. As Blizzard lovers can attest, the Blizzard is effing awesome, but since there are no DQ's here in New York City, a relaunch of the Arby's Polar Swirl would be as close as we could get. Or Dairy Queen could just open a branch here.  

1. Sonic's Fried Pickle-O: Hello, who doesn't love fried pickles? It's a goddamn mystery as to why this drive-in chain (home of the awesome Cherry Limeade, might we add) doesn't bring back these sliced dill pickles, which have been breaded and cooked to a crisp golden brown. Served with yellow mustard or cool ranch dressing, it's the ultimate snack food. And fried pickles are a hipster trend, now, too! No time like the present! Bring back the pickles!

For more dining news, head to Fork in the Road, or follow us @ForkintheRoadVV, or me @ldshockey.