Tostada Pizza

Let's just call this a pizza-shaped taco - it's got all the taco fixings and it is to die for!

This year, I'm trying to work hard to post all my older recipes from 2014 (yes, 2014, two years ago) and post 2015 recipes mostly in order. I'm also going to be working hard to write my instructions more clearly, take better pictures, and keep a schedule. Those are my "food blog resolutions" and I'm really hoping to stick with them. Towards the end of 2015, I got a lot better at posting and I think that is mostly due to the fact that I got more organized and spent more time "working" than messing around online. That Facebook tab can be a doozy.

Anyways, if you are a new reader to Fantastical, hi and welcome! I like to make a variety of foods each week and we started doing themes which really help me when I'm meal planning. Our weeks start on Monday - Monday is One Pot/Crockpot meals, Tuesday is Taco Tuesday (anything Mexican), Wednesday is Soup Night (we even have a song for that), Thursday is Throwback Thursday (I make old favorites instead of new recipes), Friday is All-American Night (Pizza OR Burgers), Saturday we eat at Nick's mom's house, and Sunday is the elaborate meal night - where I will make a recipe that takes more time to make than I'm usually willing to spend - meatloaf, pot roast, etc.

On Fridays, we alternate pizza and burgers. I also make different recipes to keep us from getting bored of the same ole thing. I (obviously) made this tostada pizza on a Friday - back when we were still living in New York. In fact, after checking the date on the photo - end of May 2014 is when I made this pizza. Short of copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizzas, I had never made a pizza with refried beans for the sauce. I was excited to try beans on an actual pizza, not tortillas.

I doubled the amount of beef and used roma tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes. I also used more than 1 cup of cheese, but honestly could not tell you how much. I usually buy a large bag of cheese and just scoop it out by the handful until the pizza "looks right". This pizza was fabulous. It's so savory and tastes like tacos, but in pizza form. I mean that is just the best of both worlds, right?!


(Print)
What you need:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 can (4 oz.) diced green chillies, drained
• 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning mix (half a packet)
• 1 to 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 recipe pizza dough (my recipe)
• 1 can (15 oz.) refried beans
• 1+ cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (or a mix)
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, brown and crumble ground beef until no pink remains. Drain, if needed.
2. Stir in water, chillies, tomatoes, taco seasoning, and chili powder. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, roll out your pizza dough and place on a pan (I like to dust mine with cornmeal). Bake in a preheated-400 degree oven for about 8 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and spread refried beans on top, then add your seasoned beef. Top with cheese.
5. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes until the edges of the crust are golden brown.
6. Top with chopped cilantro.

Recipe adapted from The Atwoods

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