The Boston Celtics had a rough opening game in their second-round NBA Playoffs series against the Milwaukee Bucks, as they struggled and lost 101-89 on their home court at TD Garden, falling to 0-1 on the series. As for who took the biggest L of the night, though, it may not have even been Jayson Tatum and company, as Jack Harlow had a humbling (and pretty funny) moment while sitting courtside.
During a break in game action, in a mic’d-up moment between referees Scott Foster and Ed Malloy (who have reffed for 27 and 19 NBA seasons, respectively), Foster turns to Malloy and asks, “Who’s Jack Harlow?” After Foster repeats the question, Malloy answered, “I have no idea.” After Foster points him out, Malloy asks who he is and Foster responds, “I don’t know,” then adding with a smile, “Go ask him.”
While Harlow is of course one of today’s most popular rappers with a recent No. 1 single in “First Class,” it makes sense he might not be on the officials’ radar: Both men are in their 50s and the National Basketball Referees Association website lists Foster’s favorite musician as Darius Rucker and Malloy’s as U2.
Check out the moment above.
Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Here’s how the New York Timesdescribes the primary race in Ohio: “Republicans running for the seat of Ohio’s retiring senator, Rob Portman, appear determined to bury the soft-spoken country-club bonhomie that was once a hallmark of the party in this state, and replace it with the pugilistic brand of conservatism owned by Donald J. Trump and now amplified by the new band of Buckeye bomb throwers.”
One of those so-called “bomb throwers” is J.D. Vance, who has the support of the former-president even after the Hillbilly Elegy author referred to him as “America’s Hitler.” It might help if Trump could remember his name, though. During a “Save America” rally in Greenwood, Nebraska on Sunday in support of Charles Herbster, a Republican gubernatorial candidate who’s been accused of sexually assaulting eight women, Trump was bragging his accomplishments when he said, “You know, we’ve endorsed Dr. Oz. We’ve endorsed J.P., right? J.D. Mandel, and he’s doing great. They’re all doing good.”
Trump appeared to be confusing the names of J.D. Vance and his political rival Josh Mandel, who he once described as being “f*cking weird.” As noted by the Guardian, in the same rally in Greenwood, Trump mocked Joe Biden for “stumbling over his words.”
Ahead of the festival, RHCP drummer Chad Smith said in a Billboard interview, “We’re taking Alison, [Hawkins’] wife, with us and it’s going to be a celebration. That’s what she wants. She doesn’t want it to be anything other than, ‘Let’s celebrate music, let’s celebrate our friends, let’s celebrate Taylor. This is what he would want and he would be very happy that you guys are playing and he would want it be nothing but a positive experience.’ So we’re going to do all that and she’s going to be part of that and I’m very honored that we can do that with her. […] We’re going to play our hearts out.”
Sure enough, Hawkins definitely had a presence during the Chili Peppers’ set. Smith has an outline of a bird with “Hawkins” written on it on his drum set, and at the end of the band’s performance, Smith told the crowd, “We just found out about this two weeks ago, because Foo Fighters were supposed to play here tonight. We love Foo Fighters, and we love our brother Taylor Hawkins. This means a lot to us to be able to play for them.”
Check out that moment below.
Red Hot Chili Peppers is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Multiple times per week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts and ratings) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.
Natasha Lyonne’s walking that walk better than anyone else in this world with a trippier journey that transcends the first season’s Groundhog Day-esque time loop. Both Nadia and Charlie must conquer a new set of challenges in order to save themselves, and both Annie Murphy and Chloe Sevigny are crushing their supporting roles. Get ready for more stair shenanigans and transcendence from Oatmeal the Cat.
Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg go treasure-hunting together, and it’s a bit of a heist story that’s based upon the PlayStation phenomenon. One would do best to not expect a serious story and simply enjoy the ride here because these two movie stars are the odd couple, and that’s probably part of the intended charm of this project. It’s sheer fun, and if you want a little more bite, maybe go watch Free Guy again?
After a three-year hiatus, Bill Hader’s contract killer is back and not happy to be doing, you know, the contract-killing thing. He’s here to question everything he knows and explore why he can’t quit the game. Anthony Carrigan and Henry Winkler are back in their supporting roles to amp up the irresistible quotient here. Dancing and fish photos for all!
No one can escape the scathingly satiric viewpoint of Ziwe Fumudoh, former Desus & Mero writer and YouTube star in her own right. This season’s guests include Emily Ratajkowski, Hannibal Buress, Mia Khalifa, Charlamagne Tha God, and shambolic king Chet Hanks.
Bye bye for good, Edward Cullen. Robert Pattinson’s been warning us for quite some time that he’s got it going on when it comes to reinvention, and his Caped Crusader will see a sequel. Before then, you have time to catch up on his gritty, gothy version of Bruce Wayne as he’s joined by Zoe Kravitz’s Catwoman, Paul Dano’s The Riddler, and Colin Ferrell’s Penguin. As with Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, ain’t the DCEU, so let the creative freedom roll, Matt Reeves.
Kaley Cuoco’s Cassie thought she had her (terminally messy) life all worked out, but as this season proves, the massive mayhem is only beginning. Cassie kicked the booze and replaced that fix with life as a CIA asset, which is obviously not a recipe for slowing down and chilling out. The action’s nonstop again and travels over to Iceland, all while Cassie tries to feel out another murder case that feels very personal. Thank goodness that Zosia Mamet and Rosie Perez are still here to flesh out the friendship dynamic while we all feed our need for globetrotting escapism.
Andrew Garfield stars as a detective (Jeb Pyre) who’s digging deep into a Salt Lake Valley, Utah double murder that went down in the 1980s. Daisy Edgar-Jones once again plays a character who doesn’t fare well in this story that’s based upon a Jon Krakauer true-crime bestselling book. As Pyre investigates the circumstances of the violence in question, he ends up stumbling upon truths that make him wonder exactly what’s going on within his own (LDS) church. Sam Worthington and Rory Culkin help round out the cast.
The Wire creator takes a very different law enforcement-related turn here with this six-part series that charts the rise and fall of a Baltimore PD branch that’s laden with corruption and sketchy tactics aplenty. Jon Bernthal, Wunmi Mosaku, and Jamie Hector lead the cast in this story that follows Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton’s book, which lights police practices on fire when it comes to the lengths that some cops will go to to look like drug-prohibition champions while pulling off their own dirty deeds.
Last week’s episode did not go well for one pivotal character, but there are plenty more with their fates on the line. The good news: Kim Wexler is still kicking, so maybe stop fretting about it, even though the show’s about to smash right into the Breaking Bad timeline. An atypical opening scene for this season means that perhaps we’ll see Cinnabon Gene down the line, but the good news is that we will apparently see Walt and Jesse make an appearance. All five of the first seasons are streaming on Netflix while this sixth and final round is doing the weekly release thing.
A ferociously enthused audience almost guarantees a second season for this story that follows Charlie and Nick as they move from fellow students to friends to love interests. In the process, they must navigate other friendships and various influences on the way to self-discovery and authenticity. Oh, and there’s rugby involved. A lot of rugby.
Jason Bateman’s baby has been an intense ride, and the final season is (fittingly) both shattering and savage. Carve out time to binge it all because everything’s all lined up to send off Ruth Langmore and the Byrde family in an unforgettable way. In the end, the show doesn’t quite live up to the Breaking Bad template, but there’s no denying that Ozark is a force of nature on its own two feet. Also, Killer Mike shows up for a cameo, and that cookie jar is back for one final hurrah.
If Game 1 between the Warriors and Grizzlies is an indicator of the quality of basketball we will see throughout the series, we are in for a treat, as Golden State, fueled by a 39-point third quarter spearheaded by Jordan Poole, swiped homecourt advantage with a 117-116 win.
The game was tight for much of the first quarter, but Memphis was able to draw first blood with a 9-0 spurt late to take an 8-point advantage into the second quarter. Leading the way was Ja Morant, who was orchestrating the Memphis offense beautifully, particularly when they could get out and run off of Warriors turnovers.
The Warriors would respond with their own run in the second quarter as Jordan Poole took center stage, finding open space on the perimeter to help Golden State reel Memphis back in.
The biggest moment of the first half came on a Draymond Green foul against Brandon Clarke, in which he hit the young Grizzlies center in the face going for a block and then dragged him down by his jersey. After review, it was determined that combination of fouls reached the criteria for a Flagrant 2, and Green was ejected from the game.
Almost immediately, the Grizzlies went on a run, with a pair of Morant baskets closing the half in style for the Grizzlies, pushing their lead to six at the break.
In the third quarter, Golden State came out with some added fire and a greater attention to detail on the offensive end, cutting down on turnovers and creating a number of open looks for Poole, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson, as their trio fo shooters started to get loose and helped turn a 6-point deficit into a 1-point lead going to the fourth.
The Warriors very well may have put the game away in the third quarter had it not been for the efforts of Jaren Jackson Jr., who buried three after three to keep the Grizzlies attached.
Early in the fourth it was the Warriors turn to go on another run, as Poole and Thompson hit some big shots to push the lead out to as many as 10 midway through the period.
As was the case in their first round series, the Grizzlies had a fourth quarter response ready, with Ja Morant taking center stage as they started to turn defense into offense after seeing their halfcourt sets get bogged down early in the quarter.
Every time the Grizzlies took a lead on a Morant bucket, the Warriors would end up getting an easy bucket on the other end, first off a second-chance dunk by Andrew Wiggins and then a blown coverage leading to a Gary Payton II dunk. Those offset Ja’s efforts and squared the game at 114-114, when Brandon Clarke gave Memphis a two-point edge on a lob play.
Golden State would find the answer in the form of Thompson, who drilled an open three (something Golden State otherwise struggled to do down the stretch) to push Golden State back in front.
On the next Memphis possession, Morant got Curry on a switch and tried to attack into a floater, but Steph was able to get his hand on the ball to force a turnover and set the Warriors up for a chance to go up three at the free throw line.
However, Thompson missed a pair of free throws on the other end and after a bizarre refereeing decision to call a jump ball after it appeared Dillon Brooks last touched it before it went out of bounds, Memphis had life at the end. The Grizzlies drew the final play up to get Morant going downhill to the bucket, but Thompson was able to wall him off from the rim and force a difficult scoop layup that didn’t come all that close.
It’s a tough loss to take if you’re the Grizzlies, having led by two inside the final minute after fighting back from a 10-point deficit. Their biggest issues were clearing the defensive glass, as the Warriors had 26 second chance points off of 16 offensive rebounds, and creating quality looks in the halfcourt for much of the third and fourth quarters, as their offense stalled once the Warriors started to take better control of the ball. Jaren Jackson Jr.’s effort (33 points), particularly in the third quarter, and Morant’s play down the stretch (34 points) was nearly enough to overcome that, as they became the first pair of Grizzlies to each score 30+ points in a playoff game in franchise history.
For Golden State, this game will feel like a bit of theft given they faced a six-point deficit at the half after Draymond got tossed, but they rode a hot shooting Poole, timely buckets from Thompson and Curry, and an impressive Green-less defensive effort to the win. Poole continues to impress, stepping up in games the Warriors desperately need him to, finishing with 31 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds off the bench. Curry had 24 points and Thompson had 15, but it was Poole’s effort that seemed to serve as the catalyst for their second half run in Green’s absence.
Now it’s on Memphis to at least split at home as they did in the last series, while the Warriors will hope a full game with Green will help improve their defense late in games, as Morant was able to get pretty much wherever he wanted.
Megan Thee Stallion has always made sure to show appreciation for her hometown of Houston. Her love for the city appears throughout her projects like Fever, Good News, and even her most recent quickstrike effort, Something For Thee Hotties. Outside of that, she’s made sure to conduct philanthropic efforts in her hometown like her 2021 Hotties Helping Houston fundraiser which was launched after Texas was hit with a massive winter storm that resulted in power outages, boil water advisories, and no hot water for many. Keeping all of this in mind, the city of Houston decided it was time to honor Megan.
Mayor Sylvester Turner officially announced that May 2nd will be known as “Megan Thee Stallion Day” in the city of Houston, Texas.
On Sunday, Houston honored Megan with the key to the city. She was graced with the honor during a ceremony with city leaders which included Mayor Sylvester Turner. In addition to receiving the key, Mayor Turner also declared that May 2 would be known as Megan Thee Stallion day in Houston. Megan was graced with the key and flowers during the ceremony, and she later took to Instagram to share her reaction to the honor.
“Came home real quick to get THEE KEY TO THEE CITY,” Megan wrote in a post. “And in honor of my mother and grandmother’s birthday MAY 2ND is officially MEGAN THEE STALLION DAY IN HOUSTON TX.” She continued, “Thank you Mayor @sylvesterturner for honoring me today and I will continue to give back to the city that made me who I am today.”
You can watch clips from the ceremony in the video above.
Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Pusha T’s resume is filled with notable accomplishments. He’s delivered excellent projects as a solo artist and as a part of his Clipse duo with his brother Malice. The latter produced classics like Lord Willin’ and Hell Hath No Fury. As a solo act, Pusha T was often in the conversation for best rap album of the year with projects like 2013’s My Name Is My Name and he earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album in 2018 with Daytona. With that being said, there’s no doubt that Pusha is a very accomplished rapper and his list of impressive feats continues to grow thanks to his new album, It’s Almost Dry.
At long last, Pusha earned his first No. 1 album with It’s Almost Dry after it topped the Billboard 200 chart dated May 7, 2022. Pusha’s fourth solo album debuted at No. 1 with 55,000 album units sold in its first week. That number is comprised of 45,500 streaming equivalent album units and 9,000 pure album sales. With It’s Almost Dry and its 12 tracks going No. 1, it becomes the second-shortest album by track length, falling behind Stray Kids’ Oddinary and its 7 songs, to top the Billboard 200 in 2022. Additionally, it’s the first rap album with 12 or fewer tracks to go No. 1 since J. Cole’s The Off Season did so last spring.
Billboard also notes that It’s Almost Dry had the smallest week for a rap album’s debut at No. 1 since NF topped the chart in 2017 with Perception. That album sold about 100 units less than It’s Almost Dry.
Since his breakout single, “Heart On Ice,” in 2019, Florida native Rod Wave has made sure to give his growing fan base a new project to indulge in for each year that followed. It includes 2019’s Ghetto Gospel and 2020’s Pray 4 Love with the latter peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The following year, Rod’s career reached new heights when he dropped his third album Soulfly. That body of work topped the albums chart making it clear that Rod was much closer to stardom than some may have believed.
Rod Wave remixes Future’s “WAIT FOR U” featuring Drake and Tems while teasing his new album. pic.twitter.com/LxEuTBf7F3
A little over a year after Rod earned his first No. 1 album, he returns with an announcement about his upcoming fourth album. According to HipHopNMore, in a freestyle he recorded over Future’s “Wait For U” with Drake and Tems, Rod Wave revealed that his next project is titled Beautiful Mind. He also confirmed that it is set to arrive on June 3. Rod Wave also went as far as to say that the album was turned in last Monday, making it clear that the project is truly complete.
Rod Wave’s announcement comes after he dropped his “Cold December” single, which will presumably appear on Beautiful Mind. He also caused a bit of controversy with his late 2021 song “Nirvana” as many took the track to be a suicide letter, which Rod Wave emphatically denied.
You can listen to Rod Wave’s freestyle over Future’s “Wait For U” in the post above.
The first half of Game 1 of the Warriors-Grizzlies series delivered in a lot of ways, as Ja Morant took a starring role for the home team, scoring 18 points in the first two quarters, while the Warriors hung around thanks to another strong effort from Jordan Poole, who had 14 points in the opening half in his return to the bench.
Memphis took a 61-55 lead into the locker room after closing the half on a 7-2 spurt that started with Draymond Green getting tagged with a Flagrant 2 and an ejection for a two-part foul on Grizzlies big man Brandon Clarke.
On the announcement, Kane Fitzgerald noted that the first part was the wind up and hit to the face he gave Clarke on the initial foul, which Green then compounded by grabbing Clarke by his jersey and pulling him to the ground. On their own, they wouldn’t have been ejection worthy but both were deemed flagrant fouls by the referees, who decided two Flagrant 1’s on one play deserves a Flagrant 2. That naturally was not well received by the Warriors bench — although Green hopped around the court gesturing to the crowd to try and get his squad hyped as he left for the locker room.
Warriors react to Draymond Green’s ejection from Game 1 vs. Grizzlies for Flagrant Foul 2 pic.twitter.com/9BnbcAMv64
Green will likely feel that this was another instance of his reputation hurting him with the officials, as he doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt on either of his fouls on this play, despite his effort to hold up Clarke after pulling him down initially. Clarke would get fouled again on the next possession, making three of his four attempts, and then the Grizzlies sent the FedEx Forum crowd into a frenzy with this sequence from De’Anthony Melton and Ja Morant.
How Golden State adapts in the second half without Green will be fascinating to watch on the defensive end in particular, as his on-off splits illustrated how important he is to them being a top defensive unit in the league. Without him, the Warriors will either have to go much smaller with Andrew Wiggins playing some five at times to play the ultra-switching style they like to employ with Green on the floor or go big and hope Kevon Looney can at least help protect the paint some.
Thanks to Doja Cat the much-beloved Mexican Pizza is returning to Taco Bell’s menu next month. Which begs the question: when are we getting the Meximelt back? When Taco Bell streamlined its menu two years ago they dropped plenty of classics from their menu (shout out to the 7-Layer Burrito) but the Meximelt felt like the cruelest cut. Not only was this dish a favorite of many, it was easy to build and didn’t require complicated packaging like the Mexican Pizza. Most frustrating of all, it’s a hack away from still existing on the current menu… kind of.
The whole thing just feels so unnecessary, as if someone at the Bell’s headquarters had it out for the Meximelt. Or for all of us.
An easy hack for those missing the simple but addicting flavors of the Meximelt is to order a Cheesy Roll-Up and add Pico de Gallo and ground beef. It’s essentially the same thing, but it’s not quite as substantial. So we figured, why not make it ourselves until Taco Bell wises up — or a huge music personality urges them to bring it back and they cave.
Chance saved Wendy’s spicy nuggs back. Doja Cat handled Mexican Pizza. Who will be the Meximelt’s champion?
Despite our sadness over the Meximelt’s death, it’s not exactly — and I know this is hard for Meximelt stans to hear — anything special. It’s simply a ground beef soft taco with pico de gallo instead of lettuce, and a melted three-cheese blend instead of Taco Bell’s usual grated cheddar. That’s not exactly a culinary miracle, but there is something special about the way that the cheese melts and turns this dish into the exact middle point between a soft taco and a quesadilla.
It’s strange alchemy but, whew, it works. (Meanwhile, a slightly underdone Meximelt is horrifying. Again… odd.)
Because it’s so simple to make, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the internet is full of copycat recipes on how to recreate this dish at home. What is surprising though is that they’re all terrible. Not some, not most, all. Seriously, you’ll find questionable practices like adding ‘taco seasoning’ to your meat or worst of all, throwing the whole thing in the microwave to get it all melty.
(People who put tortillas in a microwave hate tortillas. Full stop. The Meximelt was cooked in a timed warmer, not a microwave — as was the Mexican Pizza.)
Today, not only are we going to teach you how to make the Meximelt, we’re going to teach you how to make it better than Taco Bell ever could. Let’s cook.
The Meximelt
Dane Rivera
Ingredients:
Makes anywhere between 8-12 Meximelts (depending on tortilla size/meat serving)
1 lb. Ground beef (80/20)
1 lb. Roma Tomatoes
1 Serrano Pepper (or Jalapeño if you want a milder heat)
3/4-1 onion (white, yellow, red, use what you’ve got)
1 Small Potato
1 tbsp. Paprika
1 tbsp. Garlic Powder
1 tbsp. Dried Oregano
1tbsp. Chipotle Chile Powder
1/2 tbsp. Cumin
1/3 pound Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, Oaxaca cheese (Or any three kinds of cheese of your choice)
Kosher Salt (to taste)
Crushed Black Pepper (to taste)
Bundle of Cilantro
Lime
Any salsa of your choice (optional, but it’ll make the dish we promise)
Flour Tortilla (king size or bigger).
Pad of butter.
Because the Meximelt is so easy to make, we might as well make everything fresh, including the Pico de Gallo. If the idea of making your own Pico de Gallo causes you to break a sweat, chill out, we’ve got you, this is one of the easiest salsas to make and once you have it fresh it’ll be so satisfying and flavorful that you’ll never buy the pre-made stuff again.
We’ll make the Pico de Gallo first so the fresh flavors have some time to come together. For the best results make this the night before (you can also totally make the meat the night before too, this is a great dish to make with leftovers) but if you’re pressed for time, let it sit at least 30 minutes before serving.
Once our Pico de Gallo is mixed and marinating, we’ll grate equal parts cheddar, Monterey jack, and Oaxaca cheese (use mozzarella for authentic Taco Bell, or mix it up and use any three kinds of cheese) and cook our ground taco meat.
For the absolute best results and the most elevated flavor experience, I strongly recommend you take the time to follow Uproxx’s own Zach Johnston’s recipe for the best-braised taco meat. He uses beef stock resulting in a super juicy result with beautiful color. For the sake of saving time though, I’m going to follow this much simpler recipe. Your meat won’t be as juicy, but I think slightly drier meat works better in the Meximelt, plus we’re going to hit it with a tablespoon of salsa which is going to add that moistness you crave.
Pico de Gallo:
Dane Rivera
Method
De-stem four Roma tomatoes (you can also de-seed — no seeds will give a prettier end result)
Dice tomatoes into even cubes, if you’d like to get granular about how to chop a tomato and pick up some good technique in the process, definitely check out Vince Mancini’s Best Pico de Gallo Recipe Of All Time. But I’m going to assume you know how to dice.
Throw diced tomatoes into a bowl with a pinch of salt. You could salt at the end, but salting early will help draw out some moisture.
Dice 1/3 to 1/2 of a whole onion. You’re more than welcome to use more onions here, it kind of depends on how onion-heavy you want your Pico de Gallo. I like less onion, so we’re going to use the remaining onion for the ground beef. Once onions are chopped, throw them in the bowl with the tomato.
Halve a Serrano pepper (deseed and remove membrane if you want a milder heat) and dice both halves into uniform cubes (keep these smaller than you diced the tomato and onion). Once chopped, throw them into the bowl with the tomato and onion.
Grab a bundle of cilantro, finely chop it, and throw it into the bowl.
Now that we have all the key ingredients it’s time for the lime. Roll your lime on your countertop, cut it in half, and squeeze both halves over your mix. Once the ingredients are combined, start mixing.
Dane Rivera
Now let it sit and work its magic, onto the meat!
Taco Meat
Dane Rivera
Method:
The measurements on the spices in the ingredients list are really more of a ballpark, not gospel. I really encourage you to season this dish with feeling, you should be tasting the meat while you cook it, but if you’re afraid to eat while you cook, if it smells like a fragrant earthy bouquet of spices and flavors, you’re doing it right.
Roughly chop your remaining onion, set aside.
Dice a small potato (red preferably, I used Russet, use what you have) into small uniform cubes, set aside. You don’t want to give this a rustic chop, be as precise as possible.
Place the pan of your choice (I use cast iron, use what you’re comfortable with) on medium-high heat with a touch of oil. Once the oil is rippling, add your chopped onion and cook until translucent and fragrant.
Once the onions smell so good you think ‘mmm’, add your ground beef. Break up the meat into chunks, and season with a pinch or two of kosher salt, crushed black pepper, cumin, dried oregano, chili powder, paprika, and garlic powder. In the words of Marky Mark, “Feel it, feel it.”
Once the meat is browned on one side, turn it over and continue cooking, breaking up the meat more as you cook.
Dane Rivera
Once browned, create an open space in the middle of the pan and add your chopped potato to the rendered fat. Let it simmer a bit and then give it a good mix until the potato is evenly spread throughout the meat.
Drain any excess fat and cover the beef with a lid over medium-low heat until the potato fully cooks.
Dane Rivera
Once the potato is cooked through, the meat is done, unto the main event!
The Final Step:
Dane Rivera
Method:
Now it’s time for the melt.
Grate cheese into equal portions, if you’re planning on eating this all in one serving, grate about 1/3 of a block of each and mix together. Why did I choose Oaxaca over Mozzarella? I think the creamier queso fresco-esque flavors of Oaxaca are a better compliment than the saltier flavors of mozzarella. But really any cheese blend of meltable cheeses will do. Monterey Check adds round nuttiness to Cheddar’s sharpness, with the Oaxaca bringing the fresh creamy flavor. All three melt excellently.
On a flat pan over medium-low heat, warm your tortilla on both sides until soft. Do this while spitting at your microwave.
Turn the heat down to low and leave the tortilla on the pan.
Spoon salsa across the entire surface of the tortilla like you’re making a pizza. I used habanero from my local carniceria, you can use anything, or skip this step, but it’s better that you don’t.
Dane Rivera
Cover exactly half of the tortilla with cheese blend, and then add a generous column of meat down the middle followed by a column of Pico de Gallo. I think Taco Bell built this thing stupidly, but for authenticity’s sake, I won’t evenly spread the ingredients around (but I totally think you should, why wouldn’t you?).
Dane Rivera
Once combined, add another layer of cheese, fold your tortilla in half, flip it over and cover with a lid until cheese melts.
Once the cheese has melted a bit, flip it over again, cover it, and let it melt for a bit longer until gooey cheese starts to spill from the opening.
Dane Rivera
For a final and completely optional step, remove the Meximelt, add a pad of butter to the pan and spread it around, kick up the heat, place your Meximelt back on the pan, and brown until crispy.
This is a step Taco Bell didn’t do and I think it’s a massive misstep to not. Giving this thing some extra time on the grill will help to crispify the tortilla, adding a crispy mouthfeel to the whole thing which makes it even more appetizing.
Bam. You just won your Cinco de Mayo cookout.
Dane Rivera
The Bottom Line:
You know what Taco Bell? Don’t bother bringing the Meximelt back, we’ve got this.
Tell me that isn’t the best version you’ve ever eaten. And even without the best presentation, it still looks mouthwatering, whereas Taco Bell’s looks like it’s made of Play-Doh. Biting into this thing ignites the senses — its auditory and oral ecstasy. The flavors hit you in waves of earthy, spicy, and supremely fresh notes with a crispy mouthfeel, and a sizzling aftertaste after each gooey cheesy bite.
Now you can choose to enjoy these in one of two ways. As the centerpiece item on your Cinco de Mayo food spread or throw the rest of the meat into the fridge and eat Mexi-Melt’s for every meal for the next three days. Your choice!
Dane Rivera
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CLARKE GIVES MEM THE LEAD 
