Copycat Taco Bell *Bell Beefer *

From about the mid-1960's through the mid-1970's Taco Bell made a Sloppy Joe like sandwich called the "Bell-Beefer". It used the same flavored ground beef mixture as a crunchy taco, along with a sauce similar to Mild Border Sauce and shredded mild cheddar cheese. This was served on a hamburger bun that had been steamed slightly to soften and warm it.

Recipe is from an very old clipping from  The Long Island Press.

  Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef, uncooked
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp mild chili powder
1 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp dried minced onion flakes
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp onion powder
dash garlic powder
1/2 cup cold water
6 hamburger buns (steamed slightly to soften and warm them)
1/3 to 2/3 cup of Taco Bell Mild Border Sauce (recipe below)

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Taco Bell Mild Border Sauce

3 cups cold water
2 tsp cornstarch
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
4 tsp chili powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper


For the border sauce, add cold water to a saucepan. Stir in the cornstarch until it is dissolved.

Stir in the tomato paste, vinegar, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper.
Stir until well mixed and smooth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 
5-minutes to thicken.

Allow sauce to cool then store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Makes about 3 cups of Mild Border Sauce

For The Sandwiches

Combine in a mixing bowl raw ground beef, flour, chili powder, salt, minced onion flakes, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly like you would mix a meatloaf.

In a skillet on the stove top, add 1/2 cup of cold water and the seasoned ground meat mixture. Mix well. Cook over medium heat, mash and stir ground meat as it cooks, breaking it up. Cook until meat is no longer pink and slightly browned. The meat mixture should be loose, without any large pieces. Drain off any grease or liquid.

Steam the burger buns slightly to warm and soften them.

Build a "Bell Beefer" like this: 

Spread a tablespoon of Mild Border Sauce on the bottom bun.

Place several tablespoons of the meat mixture on the bottom bun like making a sloppy joe.

 Spread 2 Tbsp of Taco Bell Mild Border Sauce evenly over the meat on bun

Sprinkle 1 or 2 Tbsp of shredded mild cheddar cheese over meat mixture on bun. Add the top bun

Serve warm.

Makes 6 "Bell Beefers"

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