Maybe this is the silliest blog post ever….and maybe I’m the last person on earth to realize this, but did you know that you can make tostada shells at home? And they’re easy?

Tostadas are a dinner staple around here. They’re easy, cheap, and everyone in the house loves them. My mom used to make them, too, but she called them chalupas. 
We usually just top ours with refried (pinto or black) beans and cheese (cheddar or Monterey Jack). Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Once out of the oven, we load on the fixins (that’s Texan for “toppings”): pico, salsa, sour cream, guacamole…whatever we have on hand.

Well, my beloved grocery store was out of all the regular tostada shells and only had a new brand. One with 15 ingredients and 2 kinds of food coloring. I know this sounds strange coming from a woman with 30 bottles of food coloring in her cabinet (and 6 in reserves), but I don’t NEED food coloring in my tostada shells, thank you very much. I fulfill that daily requirement with cookies.

Anyhoo…I decided to make my own. Here’s what you’ll want to do:

1. Grab some corn tortillas.

2. Put some oil in a pan about 1/4 to 1/2″ high. I’m using grapeseed oil here, but you could use vegetable or canola oil. I’d avoid olive oil since it will smoke.

Grapeseed oil has a subtle taste and a high smoke point, meaning your kitchen won’t fill with smoke when cooking over high heat. 

3. Heat up the oil, then add the tortillas individually. You’ll want to see bubbles of oil around the edges when you plop one in.

4. Use tongs to flip the tortilla back and forth….every 30 seconds or so until crispy on both sides. Once crispy, place on a dish towel and blot excess oil.

I like silicone-tipped tongs because the all-metal ones can tear the thin tortillas when flipping. 

5. Sprinkle on some coarse salt. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas, stacking them as you go.

That’s it! And guess what? These are so much prettier than the ones in the box, and (shocker!) taste better, too!

Make a few extra and place them in a zip-top bag in the pantry. Having a salad for lunch? Top a tostada with a bit of grated cheese and pop in the oven at 400 for about 10 minutes. It’s a great side that makes a salad feel a little more…fun. 

Crumble over soup, break them up and use to scoop guacamole…just make them! 

Do you make your own tostada shells?



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