Hack Of The Day: Easy Tostada Shells

I believe that a hack is not a hack unless it makes something possible that was otherwise not possible before. Like squeezing out enough juice for not one but two cocktails from a single lime. Or making sure your epic bagel sandwich doesn't get smushed on the way to work. Now I just need to figure out how to make sure my hacked tostada shell doesn't get shattered.

To make your own tostadas at home, simply invert a muffin tin, nestle a few 6-inch flour tortillas in tostada shape as shown above (corn tortillas don't work for this hack, sadly), spray very lightly with cooking spray and bake at 350F for 5-10 minutes or until crisp and brown around the edges. If the tortillas aren't feeling the whole "staying in shape" thing, weigh them down with a small handful of dried beans. If they were previously refrigerated and feel a little brittle, warm them up for a few seconds in the microwave to prevent cracking.

I wish I had better advice on what to do with these shells once they're baked. Here's how my last foray into taco salad writing went.

More hacks of the day on Food Republic: