Name: Chicken Tostadas with Spicy Cabbage Slaw
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: MexicanLatin America & Caribbean
Ingredients: 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas; 1/3 cup vegetable oil; 2 (16-ounce) cans pinto beans; 1 tablespoon finely chopped jarred pickled jalapeño, plus 5 tablespoons jalapeño brine; Salt and pepper; 1 (16-ounce) bag coleslaw mix; 1 cup queso fresco , crumbled; 1 rotisserie chicken , skin discarded, meat shredded into bite-sized pieces (about 3 ounces); 1/2 cup sour cream; 3 tablespoons juice from 2 limes

Why This Recipe Works

Cooking canned pinto beans for our Chicken Tostadas with Spicy Cabbage Slaw in a skillet along with some of the juice from the can gave them a creamy texture similar to refried beans. Tasters preferred queso fresco—a fresh, soft Mexican cheese available in many markets—in our Chicken Tostadas with Spicy Cabbage Slaw; however, we found we could use crumbled feta cheese instead. To save time we went with a bag of coleslaw mix instead of making the slaw from scratch. Using jarred jalapeños allowed us to add some of the brine to flavor the tostada filling as well as the slaw.

Instructions

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Brush tortillas with 3 tablespoons oil and arrange in single layer on two baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.

Heat remaining oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add beans and their liquid, pickled jalapeños, and 1 tablespoon jalapeño brine and cook, mashing with potato masher, until mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.

Toss coleslaw mix, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and remaining jalapeño brine in large bowl until combined. Spread bean mixture over crisp tortillas and top with cheese, chicken, and slaw. Whisk sour cream and lime juice in bowl, then drizzle over tostadas. Serve.