Beef Taco Flats with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

I love these taco flats! Imagine if a tostada and a taco had a baby... These flat-bottomed taco shells are the perfect vessels for all kinds of ingredients. I stuffed the toasted shells with savory seasoned beef and then drizzled over my easy, cheesy, cheddar cheese sauce. The best part is, you can pick up the entire flat and eat it with one hand!

My original plan was to make traditional tacos but, when I hit the taco shell aisle at the grocery store, the Fiesta Flats called out to me, "Try me tonight!" I said, "Well OK!". In my opinion, you get the best of both worlds (tacos AND tostadas) with these flat-bottomed taco shells. Tostadas start with a base of crunchy corn tortillas, and you pile on the ingredients from there. But they're hard to eat, especially with one hand. Tacos are easy to eat, but you can only stuff so much inside. Problem solved with these cool flats!

Serving suggestion: I served the flats with fluffy rice rice that I seasoned with dried oregano, granulated onion and granulated garlic. I always add a tablespoon of butter too, for flavor and creaminess. You can also serve the flats with one of my favorite side dishes, Skillet Rice and Beans.

How many flats should you plan to serve each person? Depends on who you're serving! My hungry teenage boys ate three stuffed flats each, plus all that rice. But, I was fine with two flats.

Beef Taco Flats with Cheddar Cheese Sauce  

1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup beef broth or water
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon hot sauce of choice, or more as desired
8-12 flat-bottom taco shells, such as Ortega Fiesta Flats
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend
For the cheese sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I prefer sharp cheddar for this sauce)
Salt and ground black pepper
Topping ideas: 
Shredded or chopped lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Avocado
Cilantro
Sour cream
Slice jalapeños, fresh or pickled
Salsa or picante sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. If necessary, drain away any fat. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, until the spices are fragrant.
Add the broth, ketchup and hot sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and stir until the flour is completely incorporated into the butter. Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the sauce thickens to the consistency of gravy, stirring frequently. Stir in the cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Remove the pan from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place the taco shells on a baking sheet and place in the oven to 4 to 5 minutes, until hot and crisp. Spoon the beef mixture into the hot shells and spoon the cheese sauce over top.
Serve with desired toppings and extra cheese sauce on the side.

Serves 4