Taco Pizza

Cook's Notes: When you live as far north as I do there's no pizza delivery service. So if you have a pizza craving consider this...its a 40 minute round trip to get one. The next best thing is make your own. If you can make tacos easily enough you certainly can make a pizza with using some of the same favorite ingredients. I've learned it's always a good idea to have on hand, refrigerated pizza dough. One can be creative with toppings using whatever you have in the refrigerator. 

   Taco Pizza

Top a convenient tube refrigerated pizza dough with taco meat. tomatoes and cheese bringing a fiesta type meal to the table. 

Cooking Tip: A baking pan 14 x 10 works perfect for this recipe. I used Pillsbury Thin Crust Pizza Dough and prebaked the crust for 6 minutes not 8 minutes as suggested in the directions.  Season meat using a taco skillet sauce following manufacturer's directions.

Recipe serves 6. 

Ingredients:

• 1 tube thin crust pizza dough
• 2 cups taco seasoned ground beef or substitute Italian Sausage
• 1 Tb. olive oil
• 3/4 cup diced, mini red peppers 
• 3/4 cup diced, sweet onions
• 1 (8 oz.) jar pizza sauce 
• 2 cups cheese mixture of mozzarella and Colby Jack
• 1/2 cup halved, cherry tomatoes 
• 1/2 cup halved, Comet (yellow) tomatoes 
• Optional garnish shredded or chopped lettuce 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• With floured hands pat crust into baking pan. Bake 6 minutes.
• Halve tomatoes and place on a paper towel to remove some of the juices. 
• In a large fry pan with sides, heat oil. Saute peppers and onions about 4 minutes. Add in seasoned meat and pizza sauce. Mix and cook about 1 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Spread meat mixture evenly over prebaked crust. Arrange tomatoes cut side down on meat. 

• Sprinkle with cheese. 

• Bake 14 minutes or until crust is crispy and golden. 

• Let pizza sit 8-10 minutes. 
• Garnish with lettuce and a dollop of sour cream or guacamole. 

Taco Pinwheels