Cheesy Po-taco Shells
I love hard tacos but can't stand those yellow box store-bought shells. Here's what I make instead!
These potato-and-cheese hard taco shells are honestly life-changing. This is one of those ideas that makes you rethink what is possible for a taco night. The crunch from the potato with the melted cheese holding it all together is just unreal – and with just a few minutes of prep you can have them on the table any night of the week.
What Ingredients Do You Need For Cheesy Po-taco Shells?
- Potatoes
- Parmesan Cheese
- Mexican-blend Cheese
- Olive Oil
How Do You Make Cheesy Po-taco Shells?
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and prepare two sheet trays with parchment paper. Use a knife to trim off one end of each potato and then slice to about 1/16th inch thick using a mandolin. Using 1/8th cup of parmesan for each one, make four circles on each tray about five inches in diameter, then arrange the potato slices in a spiral pattern, overlapping the edges to cover. Drizzle or brush some oil over the surface, season lightly with salt and pepper, then cover with another sheet of parchment and bake for twenty minutes.
After twenty minutes, remove the parchment sheets and sprinkle 1/4th cup Mexican-blend cheese over each shell. Return the pans to the oven and bake, uncovered, for another ten to fifteen minutes, or until the Mexican-blend cheese is brown and bubbly!
Remove them from the oven and allow to rest briefly for one minute. Each shell then needs to be molded into a taco shape. I like using a rolling pin here, but you can get creative and use things like empty water or wine bottles, flower vases, I’ve even used my oven doorhandle in a pinch. Allow them to cool completely before removing from the mold and thats it!
Cheesy Po-taco Shells
Ingredients
- 4 medium Yukon gold or russet potatoes
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cups Mexican-blend cheese, shredded
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and prepare two sheet trays with parchment.
- Trim one end off each potato and then slice on a mandolin about 1/16th inch thick.
- Using 1/8th cup parmesan for each, make four circles on each tray about five inches in diameter, then arrange the potatoes in a spiral pattern on top of each one, making sure the edges of the potato overlap slightly.
- Drizzle or brush with oil, season lightly with salt and pepper, then cover each tray with another sheet of parchment and bake for twenty minutes.
- After twenty minutes, remove the parchment and sprinkle 1/4 cup of Mexican-blend cheese over each shell.
- Return to the oven for another ten to fifteen minutes, or until the cheese is brown and bubbly.
- Allow the shells to cool for one minute, then mold each one to a taco shape using a rolling pin, water glass, or bottle.
- Allow to cool completely before removing from the molds. You can return the trays to the oven briefly reheat the un-molded shells if you need to work in batches.