Mexican Pizza

Original Recipe HERE

 

I've made this recipe several times already, and each time the entire thing is devoured by my family.  It has the convenience of homemade pizza without the post-meal feeling of being weighed-down as one often does after consuming lots of salty sauce, bready crust, and greasy cheese.  Of course, you could easily transform this one to fit that bill.  But the fresh, raw vegetables and screw-with-your-head concept ("But I don't use half a jar of Prego?!") are enough to make me really look forward to making pizza again and know I don't have to anticipate a food coma tinged with regret.

 

Depending on what culture my pizza is supposed to originate from, I add particular seasonings to my crust.  My go-to crust is this one (though the original recipe for this one has its own crust recipe), and for this pizza I add a few shakes of garlic powder, chili powder, and smoked paprika.  I don't like cumin, but I'm sure it would work.  If a premade crust is being used, the same seasonings can be added to the "sauce" instead.

 

Ingredients (NOTE: all are approximations and can be tweaked for personal preference)

pizza crust

1 cup refried beans [I use vegetarian or fatfree]

1/2 cup salsa

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend [or cheese of choice]

toppings: shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, black beans, sliced green onion, chopped tomatoes, etc.

 

Directions

(1) Prepare pizza crust as desired.  It is suggested that the crust be prebaked for a few minutes.

(2) Thoroughly combine refried beans and salsa.  Spread over crust.

(3) Sprinkle cheese evenly over "sauce."

(4) Finish cooking pizza.

(5) Top with vegetables immediately, while cheese is still melty.  Gently press into pizza if necessary.

 

Kid Participation:

* Prepare pizza crust

* Whisk together beans and salsa

* Sprinkle cheese over crust (while you hover, making sure they don't touch the hot pan)

* Spread toppings (see "while you hover" instruction directly above)