Remember these? I posted about these Mini Polenta Tostadas a couple of days ago in my What I Ate Wednesday post for the week. You have probably gotten used to me posting tease pictures during my WIAW posts, and then not following up with a recipe post for several weeks. Well, because these are so delicious and because I am feeling extra nice, I am posting this one only four days later. I think that is a bit of an improvement, am I right? 😉
If you love Mexican-inspired dishes (and seriously, who doesn’t?), then you are really going to enjoy these! Plus, it does not get much easier than the recipe that I am about to share…if you can even call it that!
Mini Polenta Tostadas
Servings: Makes approximately 15 mini tostadas (2 servings if serving as a meal)
Ingredients
olive oil cooking spray
1 roll of polenta (I used Melissa’s organic)
1 cup vegetarian refried beans
shredded lettuce
red onion, diced
red bell pepper, diced
tomatoes, diced
salsa
shredded cheese or nutritional yeast, if desired
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 415 degrees F. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
2. Slice polenta into half-inch thick pieces (mine made 15 slices). Place the polenta slices onto the baking sheet, lightly spray with olive oil cooking spray, and bake for approximately 10-12 minutes.
3. Flip the polenta slices over, lightly spray the second side with olive oil cooking spray, and bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, or until they begin to become golden brown.
4. While the polenta is baking, warm the refried beans and prepare the tostada toppings.
5. Compile the tostadas in this order: one polenta slice, refried beans, shredded lettuce, onions, peppers, tomatoes, salsa, and cheese or nutritional yeast (if using).
Now who am I kidding? These mini tostadas are totally cute, right? But not only are they visually appealing, they are also very appealing to the taste buds! The savory flavor and crisp texture of the polenta combined with the traditional Mexican tostada toppings makes for an absolutely delicious meal or appetizer. How fabulous would it be to serve these at your next get-together with Mexican food, margaritas, and beer? Sign me up for that! Now I will just have to remember to come back to this recipe once Cindo de Mayo rolls around again next year.
I am officially a polenta lover. So far, I have found that it is great to use when making polenta pizzas, and now I see that it is just as delicious in Mexican-inspired food. For those of you who are experienced polenta cookers/eaters, what should I try next? Please share with me your favorite recipes/dishes that use polenta! 🙂
