by Sean Lawrence
Introducing: non-trademark infringing delights that combine soft and crispy flour tortillas, crunchy corn tortilla, hearty refried beans, and multiple cheeses in a Tex-Mex package.
While I call these crunchfolds (there’s more folding than wrapping) you can certainly consider them an improvement from the fast-food variation. Upgrading the heart of this dish from processed cheeses to quality shredded cheese and homemade queso, and using heirloom Rancho Gordo beans (I used cranberry beans, though many of their varieties work very well) as well as the undeniable charm of making it at home really makes this into a treat. The refried beans and queso can be made well ahead of time, and once the components are ready the finished product comes together in a matter of minutes. New School American cheese contains the perfect amount of sodium citrate (essentially citric acid with additional sodium ions hanging on) for making a wonderfully emulsified and stable cheese sauce that reheats exceptionally well. I use individual tortilla chips over whole tostadas in this recipe because they are more readily available, cheaper, and it is easier to use up the excess (especially if you double the queso recipe) compared to 6” tostadas.
Meat eaters can substitute the beans for a similar amount of ground beef seasoned with taco seasoning if they so choose.
Ingredients
Beans
- 8oz dried Rancho Gordo beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
- ½ yellow onion, divided, half finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, divided, half minced
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 dried arbol chile (optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt
- Vegetable oil
Queso
- ⅓ cup milk (85 g)
- 5 slices New School American cheese, ~100g
- 1 tablespoon canned green chile
- Black pepper
Additional Ingredients
- 4 10” flour tortillas
- 4 6” flour tortillas
- 6 oz Meister Pepperjack, shredded
- 1 roma tomato, diced
- ¼ yellow onion, diced
- 1 head romaine, shredded
- 24 tortilla chips (or 4 6” tostadas)
- ¼ c sour cream or crema mexicana
- Hot sauce to taste
Directions
Refried Beans
- Cover soaked beans in 2” water.
- Add 2 clove garlic, chile, bay leaf, ¼ onion whole, 1 teaspoon salt.
- Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cover.
- Simmer until the beans are tender, about an hour.
- Drain beans, reserving 1 ½ cup cooking liquid.
- Sauté ¼ chopped onion in oil until translucent.
- Add garlic, sauté until fragrant.
- Return beans to pot with ½ cup cooking liquid.
- Mash beans with potato masher or immersion blender until desired consistency, adding cooking liquid as needed.
- Adjust salt as needed.
Queso
- Bring milk to a gentle simmer.
- Tear small pieces of New School into milk.
- Stir until combined.
- Remove from heat
- Add in canned chile and black pepper to taste.
Crunchfold Assembly
- On large tortilla, spread beans into 6” circle (use smaller tortillas as a visual reference)
- Drizzle queso onto beans.
- Arrange a layer of 6 tortilla chips (or tostada) into a circle.
- Spread a thin layer or dollops of sour cream or crema onto tortilla chips.
- Apply hot sauce, if using.
- Sprinkle tomato, onion, and lettuce.
- Add shredded pepper jack as a top layer.
- Place 6” tortilla on top and press down gently to compact the crunchfold contents.
- Fold sections of the large tortilla such that there are six folds with pleats that enclose the contents.
- Invert the crunchfold to hold the folds in place.
- Place into a lightly oiled skillet, folded side down, over medium-high heat.
- Cook 1 ½ – 2 min, until the folds are sealed shut and tortilla is golden brown.
- Flip and cook another 1 ½ – 2 min until the other side is golden brown.
A fairly hot pan is crucial here as the goal is to crisp and seal the crunchfold without overcooking the insides, specifically the lettuce. Serve immediately to preserve the crunch of the tortilla chips for the best textural contrast.
