Chicken Tostadas With Fresh-Mex Slaw & Pico

I absolutely love ordering tacos at restaurants when they top them with a fresh, creamy cabbage slaw! The added crunch, zing and freshness just sets them off! Such a treat!

I don’t know why I hadn’t tried to recreate a fresh-mex slaw at home before! I happened to have a little extra cabbage on hand (leftover from an asian-style meal earlier in the week) and thought it would be worth a try!

During the week, I’m all about “rollover meals.” If we smoke a bunch of chicken or pork on Sunday afternoon, I’ll shred it up and use it in a meal later in the week. And that is precisely how this meal came together. Fast, fresh and simple!

Leftovers don’t have to be boring!

Chicken Tostadas

Okay, so I’m not really certain if this should be called a tostada or a quesadilla. Can we call them quesadas or tostadillas? Much fancier than calling them “Lauren’s-lazy-last-minute-tossed-tillas”

Call it was you will, it was delicious!

Shredded Meat (I prefer to use some leftover chicken or pork)
Corn tortillas (yellow or white corn tortillas – if you have flour tortillas on hand that works too!)
Shredded Cheese (I used monterey jack)
Seasonings (I seasoned the meat with a sprinkling of chili powered, cumin and onion powder)
Refried Beans
Olive Oil (I used spray olive oil)

Layout your tortillas on a greased sheet lined with foil and top with refried beans, meat, seasonings and cheese to your liking. Top with a second tortilla and lightly brush or spray the tops of the tortillas with olive oil. (If using flour tortillas you could quickly turn in a skillet with olive oil for a few seconds before assembling – adds great crunch!).
Stick under a broiler until warm and cheese is melty (about 5 minutes)

Fresh-Mex Slaw

Here comes my favorite part! The topping! Use this on tacos, quesadillas, tostadas, etc.

1/2 green cabbage, finely shredded (You could also use a bag mix of red/green to save time!)
1 lime, juiced
1 bunch of cilantro, minced (add in to taste – I love cilantro so added about 2 Tbsp – 1/8 c.)
1/3 c. Sour cream
2 Tbsp. Mayo
1-2 tsp. Pure Maple Syrup (could substitute another sweetener here)
Garlic Salt, to taste
2 Tbsp. Green Onions, minced (optional – I didn’t have any on hand when I made this)

Pico

And for the last of the topping…

I basically used this recipe to complete the meal> Pico Avocado Dip

I decided to throw in a few black beans this time as well! MMM!

I hope you enjoy this “recipe.” Maybe if anything you’ll just find some fresh inspiration for your leftovers this week! Try something new with your leftover ingredients!