What To Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking

What To Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking

30-minute summer steak tostadas

with grilled squash and zucchini!

Caroline Chambers
Jul 24, 2022
∙ Paid

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I have something to admit: I had never made tostadas until this week. Have you?!

In Wednesday’s “three perfect summer dinner party menus” newsletter, I asked you guys to let me know what your favorite dinner party to throw or attend has been lately. Kitty came in HOT with a tostada dinner party idea.

This week’s recipe was going to be steak tacos with peach salsa, but I quickly pivoted, swapping my tortillas out for tostadas (which are basically just fried tortillas — like a giant tortilla chip!).

We’re spreading mashed avocado over the tostadas, topping them with perfectly grilled steak (or chicken or shrimp!), then capping things off with a pickled jalapeño and peach salsa and a nice sprinkle of salty cotija (or feta) cheese.

Crunchy, savory, sweet, spicy, salty — these tostadas are the perfect summertime meal!


but wait, there’s more!

While we grill our steak, we’re also grilling up squash, zucchini, and scallions to make a gorgeous summer side dish. Other than corn (corn is life), grilled zucchini is my all-time favorite grilled vegetable, and topped with this charred scallion and cotija salsa, it’s over the top. Need an easier side tonight? Make things easy on yourself and grab a Southwestern salad kit. That’s what I did one night last week and it was excellent.

This side dish is excellent with any grilled meat — so try it another night if not with your tostadas!


make it a party!

Follow Kitty’s lead and host a build-your-own tostada party! Each of these recipes can easily be doubled if you’re serving a crowd. You could add some different protein options to the spread — shrimp, chicken, refried beans, etc. — and ask friends to bring other topping options too. For example, you could skip the avo mash and have a guest bring guacamole! Or maybe someone has a slaw recipe they love! Or other salsas or sour cream!

Serve soft and/or hard taco shells in addition to the tostadas so people have options. Make some margs (might I suggest this one or this one) and have a fiesta!


summer steak tostadas 

Serves 4-6

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