As I was watching a recent episode of The Kitchn, I was reminded of my deep love for Mexican tostadas. Quite literally, tostadas translated in Spanish means toasted, referring to a toasted or fried tortilla loaded with a variety of toppings. In the most traditional form, they are typically layered with ingredients like refried beans, ground beef, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, cheese and sour cream.

However, since we are deep into autumn, I thought it would be fun to do a fall version of this classic. While still maintaining the integrity of dish by keeping the refried beans, I added a variety of cozy autumn flavors that bring a whole new level of originality to the plate.

What are the layers?

• ‍The toasted tortilla. White corn tortillas make the perfect base to this dish. Yellow ones work well, too. These couldn’t be easier to prepare – brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with a pinch of salt, thrown in the oven for a few minutes, and they’re ready to be the center of attention.

• ‍Refried black beans. There’s only one answer to this, Ducal Refried Black Beans. This is a Guatemalan brand I became obsessed with when I lived there and to my surprise, are sold in many grocery stores in the U.S.! They’re also sold on Amazon. I can’t express how deeply I love these beans and could eat them for every meal of every day. Ask anyone.

• ‍Sausage, apples & greens. After caramelizing onion and garlic, I added some Bourbon Apple Chicken Sausage (any Italian sausage will work) diced Honeycrisp apples, baby spinach and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to bring all of these flavors together. This savory mix can truly be a great addition to any rice or Buddha bowl!

• ‍Butternut squash. Roasted, of course – this pairs so well with the ingredients above adding hints of sweetness and nuttiness.

• ‍Crunchy and creamy toppings. These include pomegranate seeds, pepitas and cotija cheese. There’s something so satisfying about peeling and eating pomegranate seeds – check out my video here! The crunch of the pepitas and the salty creaminess of the cheese elevate the flavors of the tostada making it drool-worthy.

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While you might be wondering, beans and all these toppings, really?! Yes, really! I promise you the combination of these flavors is nothing like you’ve ever tried before. Smooth, crunchy, savory, hints of sweetness, warm flavors, it’s everything you never knew you loved so much.

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Equipment you'll need:

• Large sheet pan
• Medium and large saucepan
• Cheese grater

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Give these a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!