Mexican tostada meets quesadilla in these vegan mushroom pepper tostadillas ! Tortillas baked in the oven until crunchy then filled with a spicy mushroom & bell pepper mix and cheese and baked again to reach crispy melty cheesy tostada perfection.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 35 minutes
  • Total time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Appetizer, Main Course
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Mushroom Pepper Filling:

  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1 cup thinly sliced onions
  • 1/2 green bell pepper (thinly sliced)
  • 1/2 red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
  • 8 ounce mushrooms (thinly sliced, white or cremini or other)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (or add in 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce from the can along with the 1 chipotle pepper)
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 cup water

For the rest of the tostadillas:

  • 4-8 tortillas depending on the size of the tortillas (I used 8 inch tortillas and needed 6 of them)
  • 3/4 cup vegan cheese shreds (more or less to taste)
  • 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup pico de gallo or other salsa of choice

Method

  1. To make the filling, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil. Add in the onion, bell peppers, mushrooms and a dash of salt and toss well. Cook until the onions are starting to turn translucent. Then add in the rest of the ingredients except water and mix well.
  2. Cook the spices for a minute then add in the water and mix in and then continue to cook this mixture until it thickens and the mushrooms are cooked to preference and take off heat.
  3. To prepare the tostadillas, line a large baking sheet parchment. Place tortillas on the baking sheet and put them in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 c) for 3-5 minutes or until they start to get crisp.
  4. Remove half the tortillas from the oven then add a layer of the filling on one of the tortillas, top with vegan cheese shreds and another baked tortilla and press down. You can also sprinkle cheese on the top tortilla if you like.
  5. Repeat until the filling is gone. For homemade cheese options, see my vegan mozzarella or use my nacho cheese sauce
  6. Place tostadas back in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205c) and bake until the cheese melts and the tortillas are crisp.
  7. Move the baking sheet around after 7-8 minutes for even browning of the tortillas.
  8. Remove the tostadillas from the baking sheet and slice as you like. To serve, place the tostadillas in a plate top with some lettuce and pico de gallo and serve immediately.
  9. To make tostadillas in a skillet: toast up the tortillas in a hot skillet over medium high with or without oil till the tortillas are crisping up a bit but not totally a cracker crisp. Once slightly crisped, Place filling on one tortilla. Top witb cheese and another tortilla and continue to toast over medium heat on the skillet until cheese melts and tortillas get crispy. Flip after a few mins to crisp both sides

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.