Maria’s Tostadas

It is fair to say I do 98% of the cooking in our home. I am not complaining. After all, it is something I love to do. It wasn’t, however, always that way. When my husband and I were first married, we were both in grad school, were both working part-time and we arrived home at about the same time each night. We also had a newborn. In other words, time, money and energy ran on empty a lot. I probably cooked more often than he did but he made dinner regularly. His go-to meals were:

1. spaghetti with meat sauce,
2. chili,
3. tuna noodle casserole, and
4. tostadas.

The first time he made tostadas, I remember thinking “Hamburger and potatoes? In a taco? Don’t let him see you panic or he’ll never cook again!” 

It doesn’t happen often but I managed to keep my mouth shut.

At least until it was time to open it and take a bite. Then, all I said was, “This is delicious! Who taught you to make this!?!”

“Maria, our foreign exchange student from Mexico.”

Apparently, when he was in high school, his parents had taken this student into their home after the family she was supposed to stay with had to move. And to this day, we are making her tostadas!

Crispy corn tortillas are covered with a seasoned beef and potato mixture and topped with shredded lettuce, shredded cheese and sour cream or taco sauce. The potatoes are extra yummy because they are cooked with the ground beef and pick up the flavor of the meat drippings as they cook. They are a bit messy to eat but delicious down to the last bite.

When I decided to make these for dinner and for the blog, I thought about some of the new taco restaurants in our area and the street tacos they serve. One of my favorites is a chipotle chicken taco. Ground chicken and a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce went into my grocery cart. The chipotle flavor made me think of sweet potatoes and a new tostada combination was born!

If you have not worked with chipotles in adobo before, you can find them in the Hispanic food section of the grocery store in a 7-8 ounce can. The chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeños, canned whole, in a vinegar-based, spicy-sweet sauce. A little goes a long way with these peppers. When I open a can, I empty the entire can into a food processor and puree the peppers and the sauce until smooth. After covering a cookie sheet with parchment paper, I drop tablespoonfuls of the puree onto the paper and place the cookie sheet in the freezer. When the discs are frozen, I cut the parchment paper between the discs, layer them into a resealable plastic bag and return them to the freezer. When a recipe calls for chipotles, I take the amount I need out of the freezer and return the rest for another recipe.

Even as I write this, I am thinking of another combination I want to try: al pastor (pork and pineapple). One simple recipe … endless possibilities!

Gratias, Maria!

Tostadas

Potatoes and ground meat make a simple and delicious combination for homemade tostadas! Add condiments (guacamole, pico de gallo, cheese, cabbage, jalapeños, etc) for the "perfect" combination.

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Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 pound ground meat beef, pork, chicken
• 1 cup diced potatoes 1/2" cubes
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano optional
• 1-2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo puree optional
• 8 corn tortillas 6" diameter
• condiments see note below

Instructions

 

• Preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add a light drizzle of vegetable or avocado oil to pan.
• Add ground meat, potatoes, onions, salt, black pepper, and Mexican oregano (if using).
• Break meat apart as it browns and stir occasionally, allowing meat and potatoes to brown lightly. When the meat is no longer pink, reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until potatoes are tender.
• Stir in desired amount of chipotle in adobo puree (see hints in blog post), if using.
• Taste the meat/potatoes and add salt and pepper if needed. Set aside.
• To toast the tortillas, lightly coat both sides with vegetable or avocado oil and place on a pan, under a low broiler for 1-2 minutes on each side. Tortillas will begin to brown and be crispy on the outside. (This can also be done in a sauté pan on the stove top.)
• Place tortilla on a plate, spoon meat/potato mixture on top and add condiments (see list in notes below) as desired.

Notes

Meat/Potato Combinations: Ground beef pairs well with a Russet (Idaho) potato. Ground chicken and sweet potatoes are an excellent combination. Ground pork is great with either a Russet or a sweet potato but is especially good with hominy (not a potato but the texture is similar). To use hominy instead of potatoes in this recipe, wait to add it (drained and rinsed) until the meat is almost fully cooked.

Condiment List: sliced jalapeños, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce or cabbage, pico de gallo, sliced radishes, sour cream, fresh cilantro, fresh lime wedges, green onions, and guacamole.