Cheese Crisps

Name: Cheese Crisps
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; 1 ½ cups canned diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained; ½ teaspoon garlic salt, plus more to taste; 6 8-inch flour tortillas, 8-inch; neutral oil, for frying; 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded; 2 cups lettuce, shredded; 1 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced; ½ cup sour cream; ¼ cup pickled jalapeños, sliced; ¼ cup scallions, thinly sliced

The tortilla fries crisp at the edges but stays a little chewy under its warm beef-and-cheese topping. Fresh fixings turn each open-faced cheese crisp into a colorful, messy bite.

By Betty Lou Gardner35 minUpdated 2026-08-25

These Cheese Crisps land somewhere between a tostada and a pizza, with a lightly fried flour tortilla, a warm beef filling simmered with tomatoes and green chiles, sharp cheddar, and whatever toppings sound good. They are quick enough for a weeknight, easy to customize for a family supper, and just as welcome on a game-day table.

Betty Lou Gardner in a family archival photograph

Granny’s Kitchen Notes

From Betty Lou Gardner

I pull the tortillas a little sooner than seems right because they keep crisping on the paper towels. I use whatever toppings are left in the refrigerator, and I always put extra cheese on mine.

How to Make Cheese Crisps

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Ground beef simmering with diced tomatoes and green chiles in a skillet for Cheese Crisps.

Cook the Beef Filling

Brown the beef, drain the excess fat, and simmer it with tomatoes, green chiles, and garlic salt until the filling is thick enough to sit on the tortillas without making them soggy.