Smashed Black Bean & Beef Tostadas

🥘 Ingredients

• Mexican cheese blend
  1 c
• Southwest Spice Blend
  2 tbsp
• Tex-Mex paste
  2 unit
• black beans
  2 unit
• butter
  2 tbsp
• cilantro
  ¼ oz
• cooking oil
  2 tsp
• flour tortillas
  12 unit
• green pepper
  2 unit
• ground beef
  20 oz
• lime
  2 unit
• olive oil
  2 tbsp
• onion
  2 unit
• pepper
• pico de gallo
  8 oz
• salt
• sour cream
  6 tbsp

🍳 Cookware

• strainer
• small bowl
• large pan
• large pan
• potato masher
• baking sheet

1. 

   1

   Adjust rack to top position (top and middle positions for 4 servings) and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry produce. Quarter lime . Halve, core, and thinly slice green pepper into strips. Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion . Drain and rinse black beans using a strainer . Roughly chop cilantro . In a small bowl , combine sour cream with a squeeze of lime juice. Season with salt and pepper . Stir in water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Heat a drizzle of cooking oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef ; season with salt and pepper . Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until lightly browned, ⏱️ 5 minutes (it will cook through in Step 5). Turn off heat; transfer to a plate. Carefully discard any excess grease from pan if necessary. Wipe out pan.

   lime: 2 unit, green pepper: 2 unit, onion: 2 unit, black beans: 2 unit, cilantro: ¼ oz, sour cream: 6 tbsp, salt, pepper, cooking oil: 2 tsp, ground beef: 20 oz, salt, pepper
2. 

   2

   Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add green pepper, onion, and half the Southwest Spice Blend (you’ll use the rest in the next step). Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred and softened, ⏱️ 7 minutes . Season with salt and pepper . Turn off heat; transfer to a plate. Use pan used for beef or turkey here.

   Southwest Spice Blend: 2 tbsp, salt, pepper
3. 

   3

   Heat pan used for veggies over medium-high heat. Add beans, Tex-Mex paste , remaining Southwest Spice Blend , and ¼ cup water (1⁄3 cup for 4 servings). Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has mostly evaporated, ⏱️ 4 minutes . Remove from heat; gently mash beans with a potato masher or back of a spoon. Stir in 1 TBSP of the butter (2 TBSP for 4) until melted. (TIP: If mixture is too thick, stir in a splash of water.) Season with salt and pepper .

   Tex-Mex paste: 2 unit, Southwest Spice Blend, butter: 2 tbsp, salt, pepper
4. 

   4

   Drizzle flour tortillas with 1 TBSP of olive oil (2 TBSP for 4 servings); brush or rub to coat all over. Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer (divide between 2 sheets for 4). Gently prick each tortilla in a few places with a fork. Bake on top rack, flipping halfway through, until lightly golden, ⏱️ 5 minutes per side. (For 4, bake on top and middle racks; flipping tortillas and swapping rack positions halfway through.) TIP: Watch carefully to avoid burning.

   flour tortillas: 12 unit, olive oil: 2 tbsp
5. 

   5

   Once tortillas are toasted, remove sheet from oven. Carefully spread each tortilla with smashed beans, then top with veggies and Mexican cheese blend . Return to top rack until cheese melts, ⏱️ 3 minutes . Add beef or turkey to tortillas along with veggies, then top with Mexican cheese blend. Cook through the rest of this step as instructed.

   Mexican cheese blend: 1 c
6. 

   6

   Divide tostadas between plates. Top with pico de gallo (draining first), lime crema, and as much cilantro as you like. Serve with remaining lime wedges on the side. Ground Beef is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 160°.

   pico de gallo: 8 oz