1-Gathering your ingredients is the first fun part of making butternut squash black bean tostadas. Start by preheating your oven to 400°F (200°C) and prepare the butternut squash by peeling and dicing it into small cubes for even roasting. This step ensures the squash gets tender and full of flavor without much effort.

2-Next, toss the diced butternut squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon lime juice, salt to taste, and black pepper to taste in a large bowl. Spread it out in a single layer on a baking sheet for roasting. While that’s in the oven, you can move on to preparing the black beans.

3-Rinse and drain the 2 cans (15 ounces each) of black beans if they’re canned, then heat them in a skillet.

4-Sauté the 1 small diced red onion and 2 cloves minced garlic until they’re soft and fragrant.

5-Add the black beans to the skillet with a bit more cumin for extra flavor.

6-For the tostada shells, spray both sides of the 6 blue corn tortillas with cooking spray, season with salt, and bake them until crisp. Don’t forget to flip them halfway through for even crispiness. Once everything is ready, assemble by layering the roasted squash, heated beans, diced onion, chopped lettuce, and 1/2 cup pepitas on each tortilla.

7-Finish with the creamy avocado dressing made by blending 2 ripe avocados, 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk, and other ingredients until smooth. Serve right away for the best taste and texture. If you’re a baking enthusiast, try linking this recipe to something sweet like our banana bread coffee cake for a full meal idea.