Mexican Pizza

Mexican Pizza Made Easy

Normally, about this time of year, cooks start venturing back into the kitchen. There is nothing like the crisp winter evening air filled with the smell of something baking in the oven. Never mind that busy homemakers don't always have the time to whip up something from scratch.

A long-time family favorite of ours is Mexican Pizza. No need to make a salad to accompany this dish, its already in there. This home baked Mexican Pizza dish is easy to make, tastes like you spent hours preparing it and the family will love it.

Mexican Pizza Recipe

Ingredients:

1 - 1 lb. Loaf Bridgford Ready Dough
½ lb. Ground Beef
1 pkg. McCormick Original Taco Seasoning (1.25 oz.)
2 T. Minced Garlic (from a jar)
3 T. Contadina Pizza Sauce
¾ can Rosarita Refried Beans (16 oz.)
½ lb. Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
1 C. Iceberg Lettuce (cut into thin strips - use a plastic knife or finely shred)
½ can Early California Pitted Ripe Black Olives - Extra large (6 oz.)
1 med. Ripe Tomato
Sour Cream to taste

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Instructions:

Spray a 9"x11" baking dish with cooking spray or coat pan with shortening (I prefer Pam). Remove one loaf of Bridgford Read Dough from the freezer; spray lightly with cooking spray or a light coating of oil or shortening, whichever you prefer.

Allow frozen dough to stand at room temperature, until the loaf has thawed completely and begun to rise. To help this process along, you can put the dish in front of the wood burner or fireplace. Do not set dish on top, as the bread will dry out and it will kill the yeast and prevent the dough from rising.

Once the dough has thawed, begin to prepare the ground beef. Fry the ground beef in a skillet on the stove as usual, following the directions on the packet of McCormick Original Taco Seasoning. Set aside.

Thinly slice black olives into dozens of little black circles. Set aside.

Dice your tomato into tiny little cubes; they are used more for garnish and appearances. This may be omitted if you prefer.

Cut iceberg lettuce into thin strips, using only a plastic knife; using a metal knife will cause the lettuce to turn brown. Set aside.

Preheat Oven to 375 F.

Once the bread dough has begun to rise, press the dough out so that it covers the entire bottom of the pan, press up the sides of the dish to create a thicker edge crust. If air bubbles develop under the crust, use a fork to release the air bubbles. Air left under the crust will cause the crust to have large bubbles rise up during the baking process.

I like to press 1 or 2 tablespoons of minced garlic from a jar, directly into the crust. Fresh garlic may be used but it should be finely minced and cooked first, unless you prefer it raw. Be sure to spread it evenly on the crust, and then using your fingertips, gently press it into the dough. The juice from the canned minced garlic will add to the flavor of the pizza, so a little bit of juice is fine just don't saturate the crust.

Apply a thin layer of Contadina Pizza Sauce, (enough to cover) other brands are fine as well but Contadina really has the best flavor. Try using 3 tablespoons at first; you can adjust to your own taste. You will be adding the refried beans directly on top of the pizza sauce, so it's best not to have it too wet or the beans won't spread easily.

It's time now to add the refried beans. I like to scoop them out into a bowl, stirring and mashing them, this will make them easier to spread. As will the pizza sauce, some people prefer more or less beans, which is fine. Just keep in mind that they should be spread in an even layer.

Top the refried beans with the taco meat mixture, add as much or as little as you wish, I like to use about half a pound and save the rest for taco salad the next day or to make tacos the next day. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. (You can use taco cheese or a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar cheese or your favorite blend cheeses.)

Bake at 375 (f) for approximately 15-20 minutes. Oven temperatures may vary. Pizza should be golden brown on the top. Always check the bottom of the crust. Mexican Pizza tends to be a very thick pizza, which accounts for the lower temperature, to allow more time for the crust to cook properly.

Once your Mexican Pizza is a nice golden brown, remove from oven. Top with your prepared lettuce, black olives and tomatoes. Cut into squares; top it off with a dollop of sour cream. Guacamole also makes a nice topping.

Serves a family of four.

P.S. Pre-sliced black olives, pre-shredded lettuce and shredded cheeses are available at your local grocery store, if you don't care to lose a finger or prefer to do without the hassle.

Variations: Serve topped with guacamole. For a spicier taste treat add sliced jalapenos (before or after cooking).

Updated October 31, 2007