Mexican Pizza

I’ve been really into Mexican flavors lately. Every week, when I’m doing the menu planning, Mexican always sounds good. This week was no different. When I browsed my Google Reader for new recipes to try, I came across these Mexican pizzas and figured it was about time we tried these. And wow… they did not disappoint.

While it isn’t the healthiest thing in the world, there are things you can do to make it not-so-bad. First, we used whole wheat tortillas, and fat free refried beans. We also went fairly easy on the sauce and cheese. To make it even lighter, you could substitute ground turkey for the ground beef. Anyway, indulge a little… it’s worth it. ;)

Although the recipe called for 10″ tortillas, we used the smaller ones (8 inches, maybe?) and they were plenty filling. Cooking them directly on the oven rack crisps them up really nicely. Overall, this one was a homerun for us. It’s definitely being added to the list of favorites!

Ingredients:
– 1/2 lb. ground beef
– 1/2 small onion, diced
– homemade taco seasoning (recipe below)
– 1/4 cup water
– 4 flour tortillas (8 inches)
– 1/2 can refried beans
– 1/4 – 1/2 cup taco sauce or enchilada sauce
– shredded cheese
– 1/2 tomato, diced
– green onions, diced
– sliced black olives

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the ground beef until brown; drain. Return to the heat and add the onion, taco seasoning and water. Continue to cook for several minutes, until cooked through, stirring often.

2. Spray both sides of each tortilla with cooking spray and place directly on the middle rack of your oven. Bake for about 6 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown and crispy. Watch carefully so they do not burn. Remove to a baking sheet.

3. Microwave the refried beans for 30-60 seconds, or until spreadable.

4. Lay 2 tortillas out on a baking sheet; top each with a spoonful of the beans, ground beef, and sprinkled cheese. Top with another tortilla and lightly press down.

5. Top the second tortillas each with taco sauce. Layer with diced tomatoes, cheese, green onions and a few black olives.

6. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and top with sour cream and/or salsa if desired.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
(Source: Cooks.com)

Ingredients:
– 1/2 tbsp. chili powder
– 1 tsp. onion powder
– 1/2 tsp. each ground cumin, garlic powder, paprika, powdered oregano and sugar
– 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. This recipe makes enough to season 1/2 lb. of ground meat. For 1 lb. of meat, double the recipe.