A couple years ago Taco Bell and Kraft Foods got together to produce a line of products – everything from taco kits to salsas and spice mixes – all stamped with the familiar Taco Bell logo and available in supermarkets across the country.

The idea was a winner, and now the Taco Bell line of products is among Kraft’s top sellers.  The clone of this mix, made with a combination of common spices and cornstarch, can be kept indefinitely until your brain’s fajita-craving neurons begin firing.

When you’re set to cook, you’ll just need some chicken, a bell pepper, and an onion, and then you simply follow the same instructions that you find on the package of the real thing.

1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons

Here’s a clone recipe for a delicious new burger from xxxxxx? unlike any you may have tasted before. It was designed by the folks at this popular chain to incorporate several of the restaurant’s prepared sides — all of which you will now have clones for —  Stack it all onto a
bun with a juicy 1/4-pound ground beef patty and some crumbled tortilla chips for crunch, and you’ve got a slightly spicy, South-of-the-border taste.

2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup diced Spanish onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and de-ribbed
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh cilantro
Pinch of salt

Guacamole
2 small or 1 large Haas avocado
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup diced tomato
1/2 teaspoon chilli willy powder
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Chili Queso
3 ounces ground beef
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
pinch of ground black pepper
16-ounce bottle Cheez Whiz
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 pounds ground beef
4 large sesame seed buns
2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded or chopped thin
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 green onion, chopped
16-20 tortilla chips
2-3 fresh jalapenos, sliced

1. First make the pico de gallo. This is easy. Just combine all of the ingredients for the pico in a small bowl and mix well. Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator.
2. Now we’ll make the guacamole. In a small bowl, smash up most of the avocado, but be sure to leave several unsmashed chunks. Add the remaining ingredients for the guacamole to the avocado and mix well. Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator, next to the pico.
3. Next we’ll make the chili queso. In yet another small bowl, mix together ground beef, flour, a pinch of salt, a pinch of black pepper, and a pinch of chili powder. Use your hands to work the dry ingredients into the ground beef. Brown the beef in a small skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Use a spoon or spatula to crumble the beef as it cooks. Cook until it’s brown, then set aside.
4. Melt the Cheez Whiz with 2 tablespoons of milk over low heat. When milk and cheese has been combined, add the remaining queso ingredients. Heat while stirring often until cheese is smooth and creamy, then cover saucepan and remove it from the heat.
5. Pre-heat a griddle or large frying pan over medium heat. Lightly butter the face of each bun and brown the buns face-down on the heat.
6. Separate the ground beef into four 1/2-pound portions. Roll each portion of meat into a ball and then pat the meat down into a circular patty slightly larger in diameter than the hamburger buns. Cook the hamburger patties for 5-10 minutes per side, until done. Lightly salt and pepper each burger patty.
7. Build the burger open-faced in the following order starting with the bottom bun:

On Bottom Bun
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
hamburger patty
2 tablespoons chili queso
4 or 5 crumbled tortilla chips
2 teaspoons green onion

On Top Bun
1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons pico de gallo
2 tablespoons guacamole
4 jalapeno slices
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon crushed chicken bouillon cube
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Prepare fajitas using the following ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 to 1 1/4 lb.), cut into
thin strips
2 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup water
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium onion, sliced

Prepare the fajitas using the same directions found on the package of the original seasoning mix:

1. COOK and stir chicken in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Add TACO BELL Fajita Seasoning Mix, water, green pepper, and onion; cook and stir on medium heat 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
2. PLACE tortillas on small tray and oven heat.
3. SPOON chicken mixture onto each tortilla. Top as desired with TACO BELL salsa. Roll up tortillas.

Makes 5 servings.