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It’s a viral trend that I felt compelled to try as a creative way to serve up party snacks: Cheesy Tortilla Stacks. Think taco kebabs and you’ll start to get a sense of what this trend is about. I figure, why not?! It’s fun to play with food! These are a playful blend of technique and flavor.
When making anything with layers, there will be a process; this recipe is no different. It starts with burrito-sized tortillas cut into squares. Next, the filling: ground beef, garlic, green chilis and spices are mixed together, much like you’d do when making taco filling.
The seasoned meat is then spread in a layer over each tortilla and stacked to create multiple layers, beginning and ending with a layer of tortilla.
I line up the stacks, run skewers through to connect the layers, and then carefully slice to create these skewer-length sections. I recommend using a bread knife to cut these stacks!
A hot grill or griddle is the next step, about three minutes per side to cook the meat and toast up the edges of the tortillas.
And that’s it! I serve these with the usual taco night suspects: salsa and sour cream. Cheesy Tortilla Stacks are a playful twist on the expected and definitely sparked some chatter when I served them for a party. What do you think?
Cheesy Tortilla Stacks
Watch How It's Made
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Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
- 2 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- 1 (4 oz) can green chilis, mild or hot (optional)
- 1 Tbsp Kosher salt
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 6 burrito-size flour tortillas
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
Preparation
- Heat a medium-sized sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the olive oil, then the onions and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt, then continue cooking until the onions have softened and start to brown slightly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the beef, cheese, chilis (if using), salt, cumin, oregano, and black pepper. Add the cooled onion and garlic mixture and mix thoroughly. Set aside while you prepare the tortillas.
- Stack the tortillas. Using a bread knife, trim the stack to be square, removing as little as you can from each of the 4 sides. The trim may be discarded or saved to be fried into chips.
- Next, divide the meat mixture into 5 approximately equal portions. Spread one portion evenly across 5 of the 6 squared-off tortillas, then stack them, covering the last one with the one remaining tortilla.
- Press down firmly to set the shape and use a spatula to press any filling back in that came out the sides during assembly.
- Use the bread knife to cut the square vertically into 6 portions. Lay these portions down on their sides so the layers are facing up. Stack them parallel and line up the ends. Insert 6 grilling skewers evenly spaced from left to right from the bottom through to the top. Use the bread knife to cut between the skewers and you are ready to cook!
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick sauté pan or cast iron (preferred) over medium heat. Sear the “kebabs” for 2-3 minutes on each of their 4 sides.
- Great served with dippers like sour cream, guacamole, or salsa!