Easy Tostadas

My Venture into Leftovers
I'll bet you guys are really sick of my posting Mexican recipes, aren't you? You might recall that earlier this week, I posted a recipe for Chili Verde. And then yesterday, I posted a recipe for Quick Refried Beans. Now I've got Mexican leftovers coming out the whazoo! In the spirit of getting everything used up, I made some tostadas using some leftover refried beans and topped them with some leftover chili verde – killing two birds with one stone. Yummalicous! Technically, a tostada that is topped with chili verde is called a "special" (at least in my part of the country) but let's not get caught up on semantics.

This recipe is such a quick and easy way to use up leftovers. I have a small amount of chili verde leftover from earlier in the week so I'm going to subject you with one more Mexican recipe. I'll post that recipe in a few days but you'll have to wait in suspense to see what I make. After that, I promise not to make any Mexican food for a while. Oh my gosh, what am I saying?! I never thought I'd hear myself utter those words. Well, technically, I've still never uttered those words since I'm typing and not talking.

Anyway, did you know that "tostada" means "toasted" in Spanish? With that in mind, I think they should change the cocktail's name from "margarita" to "tostada" because I usually feel toasted after I drink one. I know, I know! It's a bad joke but it's been a long day and I really need a Diet Coke. On that note, I wish you well as you venture into the crazy world of leftovers. Enjoying – and happy toasting!

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Easy Tostadas
(Printable Version)

2 or 3 flour tortillas
1 recipe for Quick Refried Beans

Topping Options:
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Shredded
Cheddar Cheese
Salsa
Sour Cream
Leftover Chili Verde

Prick the desired number of tortillas with a fork several times in order to keep them from inflating when heated. Deep fry the tortillas in oil or shallow fry in a skillet until golden brown and crispy. For a healthier alternative, brush each tortilla (front and back) with oil and bake on a sheet pan at 350F for 7 minutes, flip, and bake another 3 to 4 minutes or until the tortillas are crisp. Spoon some hot refried beans on the tortilla shells. Top with your desired toppings.