Mexican Tostada with Chili-Lime Smashed Avocado

This quick and easy Mexican specialty has upped it’s game when topped with melted cheese, creamy refried beans and topped with chili-lime smashed avocado.

“Tostada- is the name given to various dishes in Mexico or other parts of Latin American that include a toasted tortilla as the main base of the dish. It can be consumed alone or used as a base for other foods.”

Interpretation: A baked/fried corn tortilla topped with toppings:)

WHY THE TOSTADA?

If you have ever had a tostada before, you may think it rivals [or is rated HIGHER] than the taco itself…

It has all the same ingredients but for some reason, you can top MORE of those delectable ingredients on a tostada because you don’t have to fold it to eat it! It is like an overesized thick tortilla chip topped with eeverything that there is never enough of in a taco.

Because everyone knows that as soon as you fold a taco, no matter how good of an eater you are- half of the toppings spill out the back. Ugh.

NOT THE TOSTADA. The point of a tostada is to keep it flat. And THEN top it. Top it with all of your favorite toppings.

That’s the best part about a tostada. You can top it with WHATEVER you want! And make it vegetarian thanks to the high protein content of the beans!

MY FAVORITE TOPPINGS:

• Mexican blend shredded cheese
  • Many cheeses will do, however most Mexican blends include cheeses that melt well, which is what you are looking for. Cheeses such as queso, monterey jack, cheddar cheese and Asadero. Mozzarella cheese also blends well if Mexican blend is not in your stock of food.
• Refried beans
  • Creamy, flavorful refried beans are the best beans. Whether that is you mixing some vegetable/chicken broth with the regular can of refried beans to make them not to sticky or making your own using pinto beans. Here is my favorite recipe. I make them in the instapot and they are done in 70 min FLAT. It makes enough for a small army or soccer team which is great because I use what I need, keep a little in the fridge for leftovers and then freeze the rest for later! If I don’t have any in the fridge or freezer however, a can will work great!
• Mini sweet peppers
  • Adding sliced mini sweet peppers give a nice crunch as well as adding a bright colored vegetable to your meal! And if you don’t like them crunchy, try them pickled! You won’t regret having pickled peppers in your fridge for any ol’ snack:)
• Avocado
  • The star of the show. Rich in fiber, healthy fats and more potassium than a banana, the avocado is a great last addition to your tostada. And if you choose just right, this fruit will smash nice and easily lending a beautiful whipped green topping on your delectable and healthy Mexican meal.
• Chili lime seasoning
  • This is the special ingrdient. Chili and lime. Both ingredients are fabulous alone but together produce a flavor that puts any dish over the top. The Chili Lime seasoning is fairly popular it can be found most anywhere. Any generic brand will do…one like this or one from Trader Joe’s. HOWEVER, if you don’t have a Chili Lime Seasoning, its fine! Just use 1/4 tsp Chili powder, fresh lime juice and a sprinkle of salt.
• Cherry Tomatoes
  • Because my mother grows such lovely and sweet cherry tomatoes in her garden, adding these gems give a wonderful sweet pop to the tostada.
• Lime
  • The zesty fruit adds a bright flavor and a Mexican touch to countless dishes and should therefore be on every dish that claims to be Mexican because it will ALWAYS make it better!
• Cilantro
  • Chopping up fresh cilantro on your taco adds not only to the clean, fresh flavor but also takes it up a notch on the freshness scale. For easy ways on how to chop fresh herbs, watch Jude!
• Cojita cheese
  • Just an extra to sprinkle over the top if you are feeling REALLY festive.

the WAY to achieve the PERFECT TOSTADA:

#1: MAKE IT CRISPY

• Heat a non-stick saute pan over medium heat. Put on your corn tortilla and heat. And flip. And flip and heat. Heat until thee tortilla is crispy. [WORD OF CAUTION: if your corn tortilla is extra thin, it is normal for it to break. You can still use it even if it does! It will just be smaller:) ]

#2: DON’T USE COOKING OIL OR BUTTER

• Although you may THINK that your tortilla will crisp up better by adding butter or oil…YOU are wrong! Using oil or butter will make your tortilla chewy. It may be crispy but it will be chewy. So, save yourself some cals AND the chewiness and don’t use any butter. Just slap the tortilla on the bare pan itself.

#3: ADD LOTS OF TOPPINGS

• Adding lots of toppings doesen’t make it “too tall”, it makes it taste like you really are taking advantage of the open face taco and loading on the good stuff!
• Add a variety of toppings! ie: tomatoes, cucumbers, cooked squash, sweet potato, jalapeño, peppers, more cheese… Try new items and you will not be disappointed.

#4: EAT IT HOT

• Just like a slice of Made In New York Pizza. It’s always better hot.

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