I am always looking to save money. Food is not cheap. So, when I spend $23 on a roast, I like to be sure I get the most bang for my buck and re-heating the same ole dish night after night until the whole thing has been consumed to the point where I don’t want to think about making another roast for 3 months is not my idea of innovative left overs. However, This tostada has transformed my left over pot roast into something completely new and delicious. It has also enabled me to save time and money, both things I really appreciate as a busy mom of two very active toddlers.
I added exactly one ingredient to turn this beef into a Latin delight. I then whipped up some Quick Mexican Black Beans, microwaved some rice in my Pampered Chef rice cooker, fried up some simple tortilla shells and got to work assembling. All this was done in well under 20 minutes. And you can’t tell me that looking at this dish, it doesn’t look a lot more time-consuming than that! It’s almost, dare I say it, fancy looking for our Tuesday night dinner. I put this on a plate in front of my husband and I quote… “Wow, WHAT is this?” was the reaction…. Now, tell me, when was the last time leftovers garnered that kind of reaction in your house? Well, then maybe it’s time to shake things up a bit?
You will want to have a few things on hand of course. For me these things are all pantry staples, a can of beans, rice, Pampered Chef Chili Lime Rub, and tortillas. And from the fridge, some onions, peppers and sour cream.
These are 6″ white corn tortillas.
Start by heating some canola or vegi oil up to about 325°F in a small dutch oven. You want to make sure your pan will be able to accommodate the size of your tortilla and have a good amount of space between the oil and the rim of the pan to prevent over flow.
Once oil has come up to temperature, cook tortillas one at a time until golden brown, flipping half way through the process.
Drain on a paper towel or paper bag lined tray.
Salt while still hot.
I got fancy here at the end and cut a few tortillas up for garnishing chips on the top.
This is my left over pot roast. If you don’t have left over pot roast, you can always use left over steak or chicken or pork.
To serve 4 people, I picked out two good size slices of left overs.
With two forks, I shred the beef into a skillet.
I only add one ingredient to take this pot roast from Sunday dinner to Latin fiesta! My Pampered Chef Chili Lime Rub.
Add the rub in with the shredded beef and saute for a couple of minutes to heat through and bloom the spices.
Now to start building. I start with an 8″ plate. This meal does not require sides because everything is piled right up on top.
Place one shell at the bottom. This is your base.
Now add on about 3/4 cooked rice. I am using plain white rice here, it’s actually Jasmine rice because that is what I have on hand, but any kind of plain rice will do. You don’t really need a flavored rice here because you are adding on some strong flavors already and you wouldn’t want the rice to compete with that.
Now add on about 1/2 cup of Quick Mexican Black Beans.
Now for the next layer of tortilla.
Then piled on top of that is your beef.
I then top that with some sour cream. To this I will garnish with chopped scallions and my little tortilla strips.
Beef Tostada
Yield 4
Ingredients:
8 6″corn tortillas
1-11/2 cups left over roast beef, pot roast or steak
1 Tbs. Chili Lime Rub
3 cups white rice
2 cups Quick Mexican Black Beans
sour cream (optional)
3-4 cups veg. oil
kosher salt
Instructions:
In a small dutch oven bring oil to 330°F-350°F. Fry each tortilla seperately until golden. Drain on paper towels and salt immediately.
In a small skillet shred beef and cook with Chili Lime Rub until heated through.
Build your tostada by placing one shell on plate, then add 3/4 cup rice, then 1/2 cup beans, then add another tortilla, then top with beef and a dollup of sour cream. Serve hot. Enjoy!