Taco Bell‘s highly anticipated collaboration with Cheez-It is finally launching on June 6. After years in the making, Taco Bell is introducing new, cheezy items on their menu: the Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme and the Big Cheez-It Tostada, which both features a supersized Cheez-It cracker that is a whopping 16 times larger than the original snack.
The upgraded cracker also boasts a 1:1 crunch-to-cheez ratio and has been created specifically for these redesigned versions of the beloved items.
To celebrate the launch of their cheeziest innovations, Taco Bell hosted a highly entertaining tasting party on Friday night, May 31, at the Revery in Los Angeles. Guests at the soirée—all stylishly dressed and looking modish—were among the first to eat the Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme ahead of the nationwide release. Though, Taco Bell Rewards Members using the Taco Bell app currently have exclusive early access to the new wrap and tostada.
Like its original counterpart, the Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme includes seasoned beef, nacho cheese sauce, lettuce, sour cream and diced tomatoes, but the tostada shell has been replaced with an oversized Cheez-It cracker that is wrapped inside a tortilla.
The hearty concoction is outstanding. The addition of the Cheez-It provides more flavor and texture—elevating the wrap and making it even more satisfying to eat. “I’m in Taco Bell heaven,” raved one impressed guest. “I seriously want to eat this everyday if I could.”
All the applause and praise should be given to Brett Pluskalowski, Manager of Research and Development at Taco Bell, who developed the Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme. The idea of merging Cheez-It with Taco Bell came to Pluskalowski in 2019 when he was grocery shopping. He perused the chip aisle and witnessed a young girl screaming to her mother and demanding a box of Cheez-Its.
The mom eventually allowed her to have it. Then at the checkout counter, he saw three teens eating a box of Cheez-Its. “It hit me like a ton of bricks,” Pluskalowski told guests at the party. “I’m going to make a Cheez-It taco shell.” Soon he made prototypes, but they all shattered, and pivoted to making a giant Cheez-It. “We really stretched the boundaries of food innovation, but for some reason when I put it with our seasoned beef and our nacho cheese, and our sour cream, it married both brands perfectly.”
The Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme and the Big Cheez-It Tostada were tested for a limited time at one Taco Bell location in Irvine, CA. That trial run proved to be incredibly successful. Guests at the tasting party on Friday night were also in agreement.
In addition to enjoying the Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme, partygoers loved noshing on chips with nacho cheese sauce and the cinnamon sticks that were served via roaming robot waiters. They also raved about the party’s special curated cocktails called the Cheez-Itini and the Purple Passion Margarita. The whimsical Cheez-Itini beverage—a zesty citrus martini infused with vodka and lemon juice mixed with orange liqueur and garnished with a Cheez-It—perfectly complemented the tasting menu. Bravo to the mastermind who thought of this acclaim-worthy beverage that was also beautifully presented.
A party wouldn’t be complete without swag for guests to take home. Attendees were gifted with an amusing tot bag that was designed to look like a Cheez-It, customized sweaters and t-shirts, a checkerboard bucket hat, and bright orange Taco Bell socks. Guests at the party also had the opportunity to participate in a hologram video activation and unleash their inner “Big Cheez-It” by dancing or making silly gestures.
Overall, Taco Bell’s new Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme is an innovative and tasty meal that is worth the hype. Make sure to run to your local Taco Bell on June 6 to try the new items for yourself.
It’s not to be missed!