A recent item that's made it onto my semi-regular grocery list is ready-made tostada shells. I warm them in the oven and top them with … well, all kinds of things. Today, I'm sharing a particular rendition, but understand that they are as versatile with toppings as baked potatoes or nachos! But given some of the recent recipes I've shared and the end of season tomatoes I'm enjoying with my family, I thought I'd share one recent version we've enjoyed.
Since this recipe can be tweaked to your heart's content, I won't get into what you should or should not do once your tostadas are warm. What I will do is say you will be well-rewarded if you spend the extra few minutes it takes to warm the shells before topping. You will not get a true fresh made version, but you will get an excellent immitation for just a few minutes of work.
I love using leftovers, bottom of the container ingredients, and small bits of fresh this and that in recipes like these. If I'm making one for myself for lunch, I warm my tostada in my air fryer and find fridge and pantry treasures to help discover new twists on what's for lunch. The corn in the version pictured above was from a single lonely cob of corn that didn't get used in another meal and it was perfect when paired with a few ounces of chorizo from a link that also hadn't been worked into a recent batch of chili. I hope the thought of cleaning out the fridge/garden/salsa jar has inspired you to build something delicious. Enjoy!
Quick & Easy Tostadas
- 4 corn tostada rounds
- ½ cup refried beans
- ½ cup protein of choice - I used chorizo cooked with fresh corn kernels
- 1 cup sweet mustard & vinegar cole slaw or similar
- ¼ cup diced tomatoes
- ½ cup diced avocado
- 2 T. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- Hot sauce
Heat the oven to 350°F and lay the tostadas out in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 4-5 minutes, or until warmed through and toasty.
Make sure the refried beans and protein choice(s) are warmed to your tastes. Add thin layers of each, starting with the refried beans, to each tostada.
Add a generous layer of coleslaw or other fresh greens/veggies to each tostada, followed by tomatoes, avocado, shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and a drizzle of hot sauce. Serve immediately.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes