Bean and Cheese Tostadas
Canned pinto beans plus a hot skillet and a little spice bloom equals tostada night, which is the kind of camping dinner that feels suspiciously like you planned ahead. These Bean and Cheese Tostadas come together fast on a camp stove with one pan, one spoon, and zero patience required, because after a long day on the trail, nobody wants a culinary scavenger hunt in their bear bag. You toast the aromatics for 60 seconds, simmer the beans right in their liquid, then mash to your preferred level of “rustic” and hit it with lime for brightness. The result is smoky, cumin-forward, and warmly spicy, with creamy beans and melted Monterey Jack doing the heavy lifting. Crunchy tostadas, cool sour cream, and fresh lettuce, tomato, and red onion make it feel like a real meal, not just calories in costume. For backpacking and outdoor cooking logistics: the base ingredients are mostly shelf-stable and lightweight (swap to dehydrated beans if you’re going farther), cleanup is a quick wipe, and the whole thing lands solid protein, carbs, and fats for steady energy on an adventure. Try it on your next campsite night and let the tostadas remind you that “quick” and “good” can coexist.
Ingredients
- 1 5oz can pinto beans
- drizzle of cooking oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chilli powder powder of choice
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 lime, juiced
- 4 tostadas
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese shredded
- 4 tbsp sour cream
- 1 cup lettuce shredded
- 1 cup tomatoes diced
- 1/3 cup red onion diced
Instructions
- 1
Measure and mix all cayenne, smoked paprika, chilli powder, and cumin ahead of time and store in one container
- 2
Put pan over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil to the pan
- 3
Add the crushed garlic and spices to the pan and let them bloom for 60 seconds
- 4
Add the can of beans including the liquid to the pan. Bring this mixture to a simmer and let it cook for 5 minutes
- 5
Using a large spoon or fork, mash the beans until they are mostly broken down or to your desired texture.
- 6
Shut off the heat and add salt and lime juice to taste
- 7
Assemble the tostadas by putting cheese down first, then hot beans over the top so it starts to melt. Top with shredded lettuce, red onion, diced tomatoes, and sour cream
Cook it from the original
This recipe comes from campfirerecipes.com. Their page has the author’s own photos, notes and tips — the best place to cook it from.
Open the recipe on campfirerecipes.com