Awhile ago some of my blogger friends talked about starting a 30-Minute Thursday series. While I really liked the idea, I started to panic a little bit because I realized that a lot of my entree recipes aren’t necessarily 30-Minute friendly. I love making veggie burgers that require roasted vegetables and cooked brown rice and these zucchini tater tots are my new favorite things.
Unfortunately, neither of those recipes come together in 30 minutes though. So, I thought it would be great to test myself a bit and make myself come up with some 30-minute dinners. Make sure to check out all the other 30 minute meals (links at the bottom of this page) that my friends put together! There are some good ones š Also, make sure to check back on the first Thursday of each month for more 30-minute meals!
For my first contribution I decided to go with Mexican, because Mexican food is the best food ever! And, it is usually pretty quick to make. I’ll try not to make all my 30-minute meals Mexican food, but I can’t make any promises! Growing up, nachos were one of my favorite foods. I like to think of tostadas as grown up nachos that I don’t have to share. They are crispy on the bottom and topped with re-fried beans, cheese.
I’m not ready to let go of summer just yet, so I topped these tostadas with zucchini, red pepper and corn. These tostadas are a delicious way to get your Mexican food fix while also using that last bit of summer produce you have been holding onto. All in under 30 minutes!
30-Minute Summer Vegetable Tostadas
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 medium zucchini, diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 medium red pepper, diced (about 1 heaping cup)
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 tostadas*
- 1 (15 ounce) cans re-fried beans
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
- Recommended optional toppings: guacamole, slasa, cilantro
Instructions
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add the olive oil, onions and a pinch of salt. Cook onions for 3 minutes and then add the garlic, zucchini, red pepper, corn, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Cook vegetables for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
- Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees fierenheit. Spread each tostada with 1/4 cup re-fried beans and top with 1/3 cup vegetable mixture and 1-2 tablespoons grated cheese. Bake tostadas for about 5 minutes until beans are heated through and cheese is melted.
- Top with optional desired toppings just before serving. Recipe makes approximately 8-10 tostadas depending on how much beans and vegetables you put on each one.
Notes
*I used store-bought tostadas to make this recipe even faster, but you could also bake corn tortillas at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes to make your own.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Entree, Gluten Free
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Pumpkin Penne with Sausage and Sage from Flying on Jess Fuel
30 Minute Smoked Turkey Sausage Tortellini from Mariah’s Pleasing Plates
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I love all the pretty colors going on here š this looks like the perfect 30 minute meal. You’re making me hungry and I just finished my dinner!!
LOVE these! I actually don’t know if I’ve ever made tostadas but I think I need to change that. Perfect for piling high with all the summery goodness!
Love that you are doing 30 minute meal series. I really need to push myself to do more of them. Will have to try these tostadas!
I love tostadas, and these look so beautiful and delicious, Izzy! I love 30 minute meals, and veggie tostadas sound perfect for the summer. These are just amazing.
Haha, my husband loves eating veggie burgers but he hates making them because they usually involve SO much cooking. I didn’t even know tostadas existed, but now you’ve got me hooked on grown up nachos! Yours look amazing.
A 30-minute series is a genius idea and I love your contribution! They’re so colorful and look delicious, per your usual! š
And I’m not ready to let go of summer either. There is still lots of summer produce to be eaten!!
I love these tostadas Izzy! I’m totally hooked on 30-minute meals, and I could go for these summer veggie tostadas way after summer is over!
I am really bad at easy weeknight meals. So I’m so glad we are doing this series. It’s a good way to challenge myself! I just love these summery tostadas. There is so much late summer produce left to be enjoyed and these are a great way to do it!
These tostadas look so bright and beautiful, Izzy! Yes to all the Mexican flavors and I love all the summer veggies you added – perfect way to hold on to summer š
I love tostadas, there’s just something about them that makes them taste better! Love all of the fresh veggies in here too, these look great Izzy.
Ha ha ha ha I LOVE your philosophy on tostadas! I HATE sharing my nachos š These look so delicious, Izzy!
When I think of quick meals, Mexican food comes to mind often because it’s all so fresh and easy to put together! These tostadas look just perfect, and I wish these veggies were around all fall and winter, too! Pinned. š
These are the prettiest tostadas I have ever seen!! They look so good Izzy! Pinned!
I have never made tostada’s before, or even had them. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I love Mexican food, how have I never had them?! These look amazing. I need to make them soon! Pinned!
I’m pretty much in awe that you pulled off these tostadas in only 30! Now Mexican-dinner night won’t have to be an hours-long process! I’m totally drooling over all those gorgeous end-of-summer veggies you piled on top! My kinda dinner. š
Wow, Izzy! What a great resource and a fabulous round up of blogging buds 30 min meals! No doubt a challenge, but you pulled it off! Mexican food always wins for my quick meals too. Your recipe looks fabulous and has the most delicious of spices… my favorite too! š
I’m loving this 30 minute meal, Izzy! Veggie tostadas sound perfect for the summer. I love how fresh this is!
Yes to summer vegetables! I want to hold on to summer as long as possible. I have still never made toastadas – how is that possible? These look super delicious.
30 minute meals are definitely the way to go during busy weeks but I agree with you, it’s a challenge to create them. š These loaded tostadas definitely live up to the challenge, and I love that you put all parts of a meal into one bite. These look delicious Izzy!
These look totally delicious! I love tostadas š