The Taco Bell Cheez-It Mash-Up Is The Combo We Didn’t Know We Needed
Separately, these two signature brands know how to hit it out the park, but putting them together seemingly would result in a big strike out or a grand slam. It turns out that the Taco Bell Cheez-It combo is the unlikely marriage we didn’t realize we needed.
“With these new menu items, the classic Cheez-It cracker gets an upgrade to a larger size – 16x larger to be exact, with a 1:1 crunch-to-cheez ratio,” the official press release states. They then got quite creative with that cracker, resulting in two different mash-up items.
The first is the Big Cheez-It Tostada. Here, the Cheez-It serves as the base with taco meat, cheese, diced tomato, lettuce, and sour cream piled on top. It’s like a giant nacho, but instead of the chip is a Cheez-it. The next item is the Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme. Here, the giant Cheez-it is in the middle of the wrap (where the tortilla chip usually would be). It then has the taco beef and cheese below the cracker, the lettuce, tomato, and sour cream above, and tightly wrapped in a soft taco shell.
Before I bit into these items (with my fingers crossed) I had a few questions swirling. Would the Cheez-it actually take like a Cheez-it? Would there be on flavor that drowns out all the rest? Most importantly, does this pairing actually work or is it disgusting?
My Official Review Of The Taco Bell Cheez-It Items
I first tried the crunchwrap. Immediately, I was surprised by how layering all of these savory items together actually resulted in a unique taste. It was different than a normal crunchwrap given the sharp blend of the Cheez-it flavor, but yet the “cheez” did not dominate the party. The first bite resulted in more bites, until basically the wrap was almost gone. In conclusion, this worked better than expected.
The tostada, on the other hand, probably falls into the one-and-done category. Meaning that I wouldn’t seek it out again. It’s essentially the same thing, but without the wrap, and shredded cheese instead of sauce. However, keep in mind the wrap is a much easier handheld item to devour than a tostada. Here, the Giant Cheez-it softened a bit, and stating the obvious: this is very messy to eat. It becomes a puzzle of trying not to drop everything as you bite. Furthermore, Taco Bell is a fast food establishment often eaten in the car, post drive-thru. Good luck eating this tostada with one hand on the wheel.
Lastly, of all the Cheez-it variations that exist in the grocery store snack aisle (most of which I love), there is not a giant Cheez-it like the one created for Taco Bell. Therefore, it was important to try the giant Cheez-it alone. It’s like taking a bite of the crust of pizza. It needs to add value to the meal, not just casually exist. I would say the Giant Cheez-it moderately resembled the standard version of itself. It lacked a bit of the salt component and the sogginess to it took away from the compact flavor. Yet, in the wrap this is somewhat hidden (and works OK) given all the other ingredients mix quite well, and the all come together, resulting in something new and different.
The final results here are that the Tostada was a fun, gimmicky style experiment. I can see how the two sides would think that it was worth trying. The crunchwrap, on the other hand, is the item I would order again. Sure, it’s something you would only order one of in a given sitting, but it is exceptionally different than anything else on either of their menus.
Currently, Taco Bell is also offering a Big Cheez-It Box. This consists of the Cheez-it crunchwrap, an order of nacho fries, a five-layer burrito, and a medium fountain drink. This special is available for a limited time.
