It's Easy Being Cheesy As Taco Bell Brings Back The Quesalupa

Getting bored with all of those chicken sandwiches on the market? Well, head over to Taco Bell — the Yum! Brands Inc. YUM subsidiary has brought back its Quesalupa after a five-year absence.

What Happened: For the benefit of the uninitiated, the Quesalupa is a mix of a quesadilla and a chalupa, where a crispy double-layered shell is stuffed with a blend of melted pepper jack and mozzarella cheeses and laced with seasoned beef, lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes and reduced-fat sour cream. The item was introduced on a limited-edition basis in 2016, but has been a fondly distant memory until now.

Fans of the original meal will notice this version is considerably cheesier, and Taco Bell admitted adding 50% more cheese for this go-round.

“Behind the scenes in our test kitchen, my team is constantly hard at work ideating on how to enhance the food experience for our guests,” said Liz Matthews, Taco Bell’s global chief food innovation officer. “Our customers raved about the cheese-filled chalupa shell in its first debut, so when the Quesalupa began its return journey back to our nationwide menus, we knew we needed to perfect that cheesy experience — one that will be consistent for every guest and every bite.”

Why It’s Important: Taco Bell did not state if the Quesalupa is back for the long haul or will only have a limited run. Its arrival is the latest in a series of menu updates including the debut of a Wild Strawberry Lemonade Freeze as part of its beverage selection and after a brief hiatus last year, the reintroduction of its Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes and the Spicy Potato Soft Taco.

Not to be left out of the premium chicken sandwich wars, Taco Bell is introducing the Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco into a few markets, with an initial rollout that started March 11 in Nashville, Tennessee and Charlotte, North Carolina.

The chain is also partnering with Beyond Meat Inc. BYND on creating a new plant-based protein that will be tested this year.

Related Link: Yes, Even Taco Bell Is Entering The Chicken Sandwich Battle

(Photo: Taco Bell)