Upgrade Taco Night With Crispy Cheese Shells

Ready to upgrade taco night? We have a nifty food hack to make quick and easy keto-friendly taco shells: crispy cheese shells. You can use these cheese shells with almost any of Tasting Table's 19 best taco recipes. To make these upgraded taco shells, you only need some shredded cheese, like sharp cheddar or a Mexican blend. To learn about different options, check out our explanation of 35 types of cheeses.

Feel free to shred a block of cheese or use store-bought shredded cheese. If you're wondering if you must wash the store-bought shredded cheese first, our answer is no. As an alternative to shredded, grated cheese works, too, since what you'll do next is melt the cheese.

You can melt cheese in a non-stick frying pan, oven, or microwave; the method really depends on your preference. Whichever method you choose, the key is to melt the cheese into a thin, crispy, and pliable disc you can use as a taco shell. To melt the cheese in the microwave, spread it out on a piece of parchment paper in a single layer, forming a disc shape. Microwave until completely melted. Then, fold the parchment paper to shape the cheese into a taco shell. If using a frying pan and stovetop, arrange the cheese in a circular layer and cook over medium heat until it is fully melted and the edges are crispy.

If you'd rather melt the cheese in the oven, preheat to 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the cheese in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet and bake until the cheese is fully melted and beginning to brown at the edges, about 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully remove the cheese shells from the oven, then quickly shape them into taco shell shapes by folding the parchment paper or draping the shells over a rolling pin or drinking glasses before they harden.

Once the cheese shells have hardened, it's time to fill them up with toppings. The possibilities are practically endless. For example, you can make our easy ground beef street taco recipe and fill the shells with seasoned ground beef, minced white onions, cilantro, and cotija cheese. Consider making our Cuban-style picadillo tacos recipe, but instead of using flour tortillas, use these crispy cheese shells and fill them with picadillo and black bean salsa. Alternatively, you can break the cheese shells into chip-sized pieces. Use these "cheese chips" as keto-friendly chips for our easy cheesy taco bake recipe.