Mexican Chalupas
I know lots of people use the “Jump to Recipe” button, but if I’ve grabbed your attention, let me take a few sentences to fill you in on how I put this recipe together…
Growing up, my dad would take me to a Mexican buffet restaurant called El Palacio in Huntsville, Alabama. (My dad and any buffet went hand-in-hand.) I discovered Chalupas from that restaurant and as an adult have tried to recreate them. Of course, mine are not quite the same. The atmosphere, the servers, the aromas, the nostalgia all play a part. But, as far as ingredients, I’ve done my best to bring that dish to your table.
I just came across this photo from June 2001, probably birthday lunch at El Palacio’s! Who knew the “mom jean” would make such a comeback?!
I make my own Refried Beans, because they are SO much better. My recipe utilizes a pressure cooker, but you can cook these in your slow cooker, on your stovetop, or in your oven if you prefer. I highly suggest homemade over canned refried beans in this recipe. I cannot state that enough.
Please, try to make your own guacamole which tastes fresher than a store-bought, full of preservatives, container. Check out my recipe called Guac for Two in Two. It’s a super-simple, super-fresh, super-delicious recipe. Or, use a recipe of your own.
The Chalupas are delicious on their own, or served with black beans and rice. Throw some tortilla chips on the side for any extra guacamole you may have.
Mexican Chalupas
Ingredients
- 8 corn tostadas
- 2 cups refried beans, homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3 cups lettuce, shredded
- 2 cups guacamole, homemade or store-bought
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees or the broil setting. If you use the broil setting, you must keep a close eye on your oven so you do not overly char the tostadas where they are beyond edible.
- On a large baking sheet, lay out 8 tostada shells in one layer. It’s okay if they overlap a little.
- Spread 3 to 4 tablespoons of refried beans on each tostada, being careful not to break them. (I have found holding the tostada in one hand and gently spreading with the other hand has less breakage.)
- Evenly sprinkle the cheeses on top of the beans.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake or broil just until the cheeses are completely melted and the beans are hot. The edges of the tostadas will brown, but be watchful they do not blacken.
- Pull the pan from the oven and top with the lettuce and guacamole.
- Serve immediately.
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