We’re big fans of Mexican food here in Casa Bagley.  Enchiladas, tacos, burritos, chicken tamale casserole, quesadillas, we love it all.  We especially love all those things topped with guacamole.  Lots and lots of guacamole.

I’m always on the hunt for my next fast and easy Mexican recipe.  As much as I’d like to make my own corn tortillas, I don’t have that kind of time.  By the time I wrestle tissues out of the dog’s mouth and scrape up The Little Mermaid stickers off my wood floors, it’s time to get something going for dinner, quick.

When I’m in the mood for Mexican, but I don’t want a quesadila or enchiladas, I whip up these easy chicken tostadas with a special black bean sauce.  Here’s what I do:

Baked Chicken Tostadas

Serves 2 (and a toddler)

Ingredients:

For the chicken tostadas

+2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

+Soft burrito shells (I used a large flour shell for Dan and two smaller whole wheat shells for me.)

+Tomatoes (I used a mix of a handful of grape tomatoes and two larger tomatoes; whatever you have on hand will work.)

+Mexican blend cheese

For the black bean sauce

+1 can black beans

+1/2 cup greek yogurt  (I love Fage, but any kind you like will work.  Just make sure it’s plain, not flavored.  That would be gross.)

+1/2 cup salsa (Any kind you like will do.)

+Salt and pepper

Cook your chicken.  I prefer to cook my chicken in the crock pot, so I don’t have to watch it, and I know it will come out moist.  To do this, place your chicken (Note: I put my chicken in frozen all the time, and it comes out great) in the crock pot and cover with chicken stock.  How much chicken stock depends on the size of your crock pot.  Just enough to cover the breasts.  You can use water, but I think chicken stock keeps the chicken moist and gives it more flavor.  Toss in whatever spices you like.  I use chipotle, cilantro, salt, pepper, and Adobo seasoning.  I cook my chicken in the crock pot for about 6-8 hours on low.  Of course, you can also boil or bake your chicken.  Whatever works.

After your chicken is baked, shred it and set it aside.  Chop your tomatoes and set them aside.

Now, let’s make the black bean sauce.  Rinse and drain a can of black beans.  Toss the beans into a food processor.  Add in the Greek yogurt, salsa, salt, and pepper.  Pulse until smooth.  Give it a taste.  Does it need more salt?  Pepper?  More salsa?  More yogurt?  It should be thick enough to coat a spoon with you dip it in the sauce.  If the sauce drips off the spoon or looks runny, add more Greek yogurt.

Turn your oven onto broil on high.  Spray baking sheets with non-stick spray.  Place your soft tortillas flat on the baking sheet.  Spread the black bean sauce all over the tortillas.  How much is up to you.  I like a lot, but not so much that it makes the tortilla all soggy.

Top the tortillas with the shredded chicken, tomatoes, and cheese.  Pop the tortillas under the broiler.  Now you have to watch them while they are under the broiler lest you end up with burnt tostadas.  Yuck.

It usually takes about 10 minutes in my oven.  I like my tortillas to be crunchy, so I let them get nice and golden brown on the edges.  Once they are golden brown and the cheese is melted, take them out, slice them with a pizza cutter, and serve.

Yum.

You can top these with sour cream, Greek yogurt, guacamole, or salsa.  Sometimes I even make more of the black bean sauce, and we dip the slices into the sauce.  So good.  Ole.