Cheesy Beef Tostadas with Green Pepper, Tomato Salsa, and Hot Sauce Crema

Step 1

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Dice tomato. Roughly chop cilantro leaves and stems. Quarter lime. Core, deseed, and thinly slice green pepper. Halve and peel onion; thinly slice one half. Finely chop remaining onion until you have 2 TBSP.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, combine tomato, cilantro, chopped onion, juice from half the lime, and a pinch of salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and as much hot sauce as you like. Stir in water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt.

Step 3

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add beef, Southwest Spice, chili powder, and a few big pinches of salt. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned, 4-5 minutes (it’ll finish cooking in step 4).

Step 4

Once beef is browned, add green pepper, sliced onion, and a pinch of salt to pan. Cook, stirring, until veggies are tender and beef is cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Add stock concentrate and ¼ cup water (½ cup water for 4 servings). Simmer until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt; remove pan from heat and set aside.

Step 5

Drizzle tortillas with 1 TBSP olive oil (2 TBSP for 4 servings); brush or rub to coat all over. Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer (divide between 2 baking sheets for 4). Gently prick each tortilla in a few places with a fork. Bake on top rack, flipping halfway through, until lightly golden, 4-5 minutes per side. (For 4, bake on top and middle racks; flip and swap baking sheet positions halfway through cooking.) TIP: Watch carefully to avoid burning.

Step 6

Divide tortillas between plates; evenly sprinkle with Mexican cheese. Top with beef mixture, salsa, and crema. Serve with remaining lime wedges on the side.