Taco Bell Friendsgiving Recipes

While I couldn't take you guys to Taco Bell's Friendsgiving meal, I did manage to get the recipes and grocery list for this year's Taco Bell Friendsgiving menu for any of you that want to try your hand at making any of the dishes yourself.

These are basically the edited chefs' notes for the menu. I've included some substitutions for stuff you can't easily get and notes of my own in italics.

Here you go (Enjoy!):

Just a quick FYI (# = "pound" and TT = "to taste")

Taco Bell Ingredients

• 1 bag Seasoned Beef
• 2 bags Cheese Sauce
• 2 Pans Pico De Gallo
• 4 Trays Tortilla Chips
• 1 pan 3 cheese Blend
• 2 pans romaine
• 2 bags LG Black Beans
• 2 bottles Creamy Avocado
• 1 pan Corn & Pepper Salsa
• 3 pans Potato Bites
• 4 bags Fajita Veggies*
• 16 each Chalupa Shells (not fried)
• 1 pack 6” Tortillas
• 6 pans Cilantro Rice
• 25 pcs Cinnabon Delights (not fried)

Grocery List

• 4 Bags Spring Mix
• 2 Bags Crasins
• 5 Green Apples
• Candied Pecans (make ahead)
• 1 dozen eggs
• 1 gallon heavy cream, ½ gallon Milk
• 2 boxes Jiffy Corn Bread Mix
• 2# Yukon Gold Potatoes 
• 3 Red Peppers*
• 3 Green Peppers*
• 2 Large White Onions*
• 1 can Chipotle w/Adobo Sauce
• 1 pack Celery
• 2 heads Garlic
• Chili Powder, Cinnamon, Vanilla Extract
• 1 bottle Cranberry Juice, 1 bag fresh cranberries
• 1 bottle Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1lb Sugar
• 2 gallons Chicken Broth
• 1 bottle White Wine
• Rum Caramel (make ahead)
• 1 pack rosemary
• 1 pack French Bread (Costco Demi)

Queso Fundido with Pico de Gallo and a blend of 3 Cheeses w/ Chips

• 5 cups Cheese Sauce 
• 1 cup Seasoned Beef 
• ½ cup Pico De Gallo 
• ½ cup 3-Cheese Blend 

- Combine cheese sauce, seasoned beef and pico de gallo. Top with 3 cheese blend. Serve with Chips

--

Salad of Romaine Lettuce and Baby Greens, Black Beans, Pico de Gallo, Dried Cranberries, Sliced Tart Apples and Candied Pecans, all tossed in Creamy Avocado Dressing

• 1 pan Romaine Lettuce
• 2 bags Spring Mix
• ½ cup Drained Black Beans
• ½ cup Pico De Gallo
• 1 bag craisins
• 2 green apples (thinly sliced)
• ½ cup Candied Pecans
• TT Salt & Pepper
• Creamy Avocado dressing as needed

- In a large bowl season greens with salt and pepper. Add remaining ingredients and toss just before serving.

--

Roasted Corn and Pepper Corn Bread

Add ½ cup Roasted Corn Salsa to Jiffy Corn Bread box recipe. Follow baking instructions on box.

Taco Bell's corn salsa is basically corn, red and green bell peppers with garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.

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A Blend of Yukon Gold Potatoes and Potato Bites with Sautéed Fajita Vegetables

• 1 Red Pepper, julienne
• 1 Green Pepper, julienne
• 1 White Onion, julienne
• 1# Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 1½ pans of Potato Bites
• Melted Butter, as needed
• TT Salt & Pepper

- Sauté onions and peppers on high heat, to just develop caramelization.

- Combine the two types of potatoes, and toss with butter, and season with salt and pepper.

- Top potatoes with peppers and onions, serve immediately.

If you don't want to go buying a lot of Potato Bites, you can do a decent version by cubing russet potatoes and dipping them in a mixture of water, flour, rice flour, garlic powder, and onion powder before deep-frying.

--

Smokey Chipotle and Adobo Chalupa Shell and Tortilla Stuffing with Celery, Onions and Garlic

• 1 cup Celery, diced
• 1 cup Onion, diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• Butter, as needed
• TT Salt & Pepper
• 8 each Chalupa Shells, diced
• 5 tortillas, grilled then diced
• 1 demi loaf, diced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 chipotle pepper with sauce
• -Sweat Celery, Onion, and Garlic in butter.

-Add Chalupa shells, tortillas, and bread. Mix until combined.

-Blend Chicken broth and chipotle pepper, taste, make sure not too spicy.

-Add broth to bread mixture and cook to resemble stuffing.

You can probably substitute Middle Eastern flatbread or pitas for the Chalupa shells.

--

Ranchito Shredded Turkey Legs over Cilantro Rice

• ¼ Salt
• ¼ Sugar
• 1 tbsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Rosemary
• 2 each Turkey legs
• Chicken Broth (see formula)
• Modified Ranchito Seasoning (see formula)
• 3 pans Cilantro Rice

-Cure turkey legs at least 24 hours.

-Wipe cure ingredients off completely, and add legs to broth and ranchito seasoning. Braise legs until very tender.

-Cool legs and sauce together overnight. Remove bones, cartilage, excess fat and skin, and shred leg meat. Adjust the consistency of braising liquid, and add back the meat.

-Serve shredded turkey and sauce over cilantro rice

Ranchito seasoning is the seasoning Taco Bell uses on the shredded chicken introduced this year (the stuff in the new Smothered Burrito). It's basically a red sauce made with chili and spices.

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Citrus and Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

• 1 gallon Water
• ½ cup Sugar
• ½ cup Salt
• Modified Citrus & Herb seasoning (3.48%)
• Turkey breast with legs, back, and wings removed
• Modified Citrus & Herb seasoning as needed

-Heat water sugar and salt until dissolved. Cool. Add Modified seasoning, mix well. Add turkey breast and brine at least 24 hours.

-Removed breasts from brine, and pat very dry. Roast turkey 20 mins/lb remove from oven at 155°F and allow carry-over cooking.

-Retain Juices and fond for Turkey Jus

--

Chile Spiced Cranberry Gastrique

• 4 cups sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 2 cup cranberry juice
• 2 cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup cranberries
• 1 tsp chile powder

- Heat sugar with water to amber. Remove from heat. Slowly add cranberry juice and vinegar. Add Cranberries, and reduce all until sauce consistency.

- Lightly season with chile powder for an added “kick”

A lot of the attendees were raving about this one.

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Turkey Jus

• Reserved juices and fond from turkey breast.
• Roasted Turkey Neck
• Roasted Turkey Back
• Roasted Turkey Wings
• White Wine
• Chicken broth

- Deglaze pans with white wine.

- Combine remaining ingredients and simmer until desired consistency.

--

Cinnabon Delight Bread Pudding

• 10 eggs
• 5 cups Heavy Cream
• 1¾ cups White Sugar
• 2½ tsp Cinnamon
• 2½ tsp Vanilla Extract
• “Splash” of Rum =P
• 2 demi loaves, diced
• 25 pcs Cinnabon Delights, unfried

- Combine ingredients for the royale. Add “bread” ingredients and let soak for at least 1 hour.

- Bake until bread pudding is set. Cool slightly before serving.


Spiced Rum Caramel (served warm)

• 2 cups prepared Caramel Sauce
• ¼ cup of spiced rum

- Combine above ingredients, and heat. Serve warm.