Refried Bean Tostadas -- A Quick Weeknight Supper for a Summer Full of Good Things

August. Summer is at its worst and best simultaneously. The heat is unreasonable. The tomatoes are extraordinary. I bought two pounds of heirloom tomatoes from the farm stand on the highway and ate them standing over the sink with salt and nothing else. That is the correct way to eat a truly good tomato. No plate. No ceremony. Just salt and the full attention of your mouth.

Tyler and I went to the courthouse this week to get the marriage license. It took forty minutes including parking. I expected it to feel more significant, the legal mechanism of it, but it was mostly just forms and a very friendly clerk named Betty who had done this ten thousand times and was still genuinely delighted to see people in love. She said congratulations and meant it and I thought about how that job, being the first official witness to every couple who comes through, would either wear you down or build something specific in you. Betty had been built. You could tell.

Made ratatouille Sunday because the summer vegetables demanded it. Every summer vegetable on the counter at the same time, all of them at their peak, and the best thing you can do is put them all together and let them become something greater than any individual vegetable. Tyler had never had ratatouille. He ate the whole pot. He said it tasted like summer decided to be a stew.

The ratatouille was Sunday’s project, the slow unhurried kind of cooking that fits a day when you’re still floating a little from a week that mattered. But most nights that week looked more like this — something fast, something built from pantry staples and whatever was crisp and ripe on the counter, eaten standing at the kitchen island with Tyler still talking about Betty the courthouse clerk. These refried bean tostadas were that dinner: no ceremony, just good food, which as it turns out is all a milestone week really needs by Tuesday.

Refried Bean Tostadas

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 8 corn tostada shells
• 1 (16 oz) can refried beans
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1 cup shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
• 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapeño slices (optional)
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives
• Hot sauce, to taste
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Warm the beans. Spoon the refried beans into a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally and heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Toast the shells (optional). For extra crunch, arrange tostada shells on a baking sheet and warm in a 350°F oven for 4–5 minutes until crisp and lightly golden.
3. Spread the beans. Spoon a generous, even layer of warm refried beans onto each tostada shell, spreading nearly to the edges.
4. Add the cheese. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the warm beans while they’re still hot so the cheese softens slightly.
5. Pile on the toppings. Layer shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, avocado slices, black olives, and jalapeños over the cheese.
6. Finish and serve. Dollop sour cream over each tostada and add hot sauce to taste. Garnish with fresh cilantro if using. Serve immediately so the shells stay crisp.

Nutrition (per serving, 2 tostadas)

Calories: 390 | Protein: 14g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 43g | Fiber: 10g | Sodium: 710mg