Tostada Pizza.

What do you get when you cross the ubiquitous taco dip with a pizza - why the tostada pizza of course! This is a pretty simple and flexible recipe which I made for dinner, but think it's more of an appetizer than an entree. Just about any mashed bean would work as a base for this pizza. Additionally, ground turkey or chicken could work in place of the beef or just skip the meat all together.


Tostada Pizza

1 pound lean ground beef
1 4-oz. can diced green chile peppers, drained
1/2 of a 1.5 oz. envelope taco seasoning mix (about 2 Tbs.)
1 tsp. chili pepper
1 Tbs. cornmeal
1 10 oz. package refrigerated pizza dough
1 15 oz. can pinto beans with jalapeno peppers, rinsed and drained
1 c. shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 c. shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 c. thinly sliced green onions (about 4)
Bottled taco sauce

1. In a large skillet cook meat until brown. Drain off fat. Stir in 3/4 cup water, chile peppers, taco seasoning mix and chili powder. Bring to a boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid is gone.

2. Meanwhile, grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with the cornmeal. Pat pizza dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle on the baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes.

3. In a bowl mash beans with a fork; spread over partially baked dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. Spoon meat mixture over beans. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes more until crust is golden. Sprinkle with cheese cheese. Bake 1-2 minutes more or until cheese melts. Top with lettuce, tomato, and onions. If desired, serve with taco sauce.

Yield: 6 servings
Recipe obtained from: Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook

Nutritional Information: 384 cal., 17 g. total fat (7 g. sat. fat), 67 mg. chol., 882 mg. sodium, 34 g. carbo., 5 g. fiber, 27 g. pro.

What I did: Pinto beans with jalapenos do not exist at my grocery store, I had sliced jalapeno' but forgot to add them. The added heat would have been greatly welcome.