Guest Author - Amy McDaniel

Introducing the torta, or the Mexican sandwich, the ideal template for leftover beans and meat. Musts for any torta, in my book, are mashed beans and avocado, but other than that most anything goes. The beans can be pintos or black beans, refried or simply heated and mashed, from a can or leftover from the night before.

As for the meat, use whatever you have on hand. You can use deli meat like turkey, ham, or roast beef. Even better, try making tortas with leftover chicken, pork, or steak. Grilled, braised, roasted, doesn’t matter.

Besides the black beans, this recipes includes chipotle mayonnaise, which can be made either with store-bought or leftover homemade chipotle salsa or with some liquid from a can of chipotles in adobo. A simpler version could just use plain mayonnaise with your favorite hot sauce served alongside the sandwiches.

Play around with the toppings to find what works for you. Add chopped white onions or scallions if you like, or consider some cilantro instead of lettuce. Some recipes call for mustard, too.

It’s time to think beyond quesadillas when you have leftover meat on hand! Enjoy this Mexican twist on the classic sub or hoagie. If you’re feeding a crowd, set up a make-your-own-torta bar with a few kinds of meat, all the toppings, and both plain and chipotle mayonnaise. Make sure to have extra chili sauce around, because as we all know, some like it hot!

For one torta. Multiply as needed:

1 bolillo (oval-shaped Mexican roll) or other sandwich or sub roll, sliced in two
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chipotle salsa or liquid from a can of chipotles in adobo
Two tablespoons heated and mashed black beans, from a can or homemade
2 ounces thinly sliced deli turkey, shredded chicken or pork, roast beef, or steak
3 slices ripe avocado
Lime wedge
2 thin slices of tomato
1/4 cup shredded lettuce

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove some of the soft bread from the center of the roll to make room for the filling. Heat roll in oven for 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Mix mayonnaise and chipotle salsa or liquid in a small bowl and then spread on one half of roll. Spread other half with mashed beans.
3. Put meat on bottom half of roll. Top with avocado slices and squeeze lime juice over the top. Add the tomato, lettuce, and top half of roll.
4. Serve immediately with extra chipotle salsa or hot sauce.