Drive Thru Gourmet: Taco Bell raids pantry to create new product
This week I reached out for a new Quesarito, available for a limited — whoa, make that available permanently at America’s No. 1 Tex-Mex chain, Taco Bell, with 6,000 restaurants from border to border.
Taco Bell has been working the geniuses in product development overtime lately. In recent months, the Bell has introduced a Doritos Locos Tacos 4.0 and a complete breakfast menu rollout.
Taco Bell has always led the league in creating new products out of the same old ingredients. Now they’ve taken it to a whole new level … what if they took a burrito and stuffed it inside a quesadilla? If Winston Churchill thought Russia was a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, he’d really be scratching his head over a Quesarito.
Here’s the Quesarito breakdown: seasoned ground beef, premium Latin rice, chipotle sauce and reduced-fat sour cream wrapped inside a quesadilla loaded with melted cheese.
Total calories: 650. Fat grams: 34. Sodium: 1,450 mg. Dietary fiber: 6 g. Carbs: 65 g. Protein: 22 g. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: $2.19.
There’s also an extended king-cab model with shredded chicken for $2.99, and an elegant haute cuisine version with steak for $3.19. You eat that one with your pinkie extended.
OK, this is just Taco Bell jamming two dependable favorites together — what happened, did a whole week go by without something new to wag in rival Chipotle’s face? Wait, the Chipotle chain has been selling Quesaritos for some time. OK, new … for Taco Bell.
Forget who’s on first — Taco Bell’s Quesarito is a heavy-duty handful with a lot in the “win” column. Seasoned ground beef, shredded chicken or grilled steak is only the start. The best is yet to come.
The Quesarito boasts a solid helping of “premium Latin rice” laced with cilantro. This rice is usually found in items on the Taco Bell’s uppity, better-ingredients Cantina Bell menu. It’s a solid, satisfying flavor that carries the day.
The ironically named chipotle sauce has a smoky, spicy aroma that alerts your taste buds that something wicked this way comes. The rest of the blueprint is typical Taco Bell fare: Time-worn regulars like sour cream and cheese, cheese and more cheese.
It’s all wrapped snugly in a warm, crispy tortilla with appealing grill marks. The finished package is a plus-sized 7 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide. You’ll need to open wide for this belly filler.
Usually Taco Bell follows a new product with several variations on a theme. Let’s see, where will the Doritos go?