Fiesta Pizza - Ole!

I am constantly on the search for recipes I can make that my boys will eat, too. It just makes no sense to spend the money, time and energy it takes to make food we can’t all four chow down on. I refuse to make my children a separate meal, whenever humanly possible. Therefore, this recipe is a perfect solution, combining two of their favorite foods: pizza and tacos. I leave their half more plain, and add lots of fresh toppings to our half. Its adapted from Pillsbury, and can be a main meal or an appetizer.

Fiesta Pizza – Ole!

What you need:

1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey… you could even use ground chicken
1 envelope (reduced sodium) taco seasoning mix***
2 (8 oz.) cans reduced fat crescent rolls
1 (16 oz.) can refried beans
2 cups low fat shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend

***I don’t like the flavor of store bought taco seasoning, blech.  Instead, I brown my meat and add in some store bought salsa.  Way lower in sodium, tastes much more fresh and doesn’t have that fake/salty Mexican yuck flavor.   Or, you can make your own taco seasoning by mixing together: 1 part chili powder, 1 part ground cumin, 1 part garlic powder, 1 part onion powder, ½ part crush red pepper.

Optional toppings to put on top right before you serve: Diced avocado, black olives, chopped green onions, sour cream, salsa, chopped lettuce.  The beauty is, you can have the “kid half” with none of these toppings, and the “adult half” with all of them.

What to do:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Brown ground meat into crumbles, add ¾ cup salsa (or store bought taco seasoning packet) and drain.   (You could even do this in the morning, or earlier in the day, refrigerate and use to top pizza later when you’re ready to assemble it all and bake.  I love meals like this, you can do some of the prep early.)

Unroll crescent rolls into rectangles. Place in ungreased 11 1/2 inch x 16 1/2 inch jelly roll pan or cookie sheet.

Press dough over the bottom and up sides to form crust. Bake at 375 oven for 11 to 13 minutes or just until golden brown.

Microwave beans in a microwave safe bowl for 2 minutes (or until warmed through),giving them a stir.

Spread beans over warm crust creating a thin layer.

Top with cooked meat mixture, sprinkle with cheese followed by tomatoes, black olives and green onion.

Return to oven for 3-6 more minutes until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Makes 12 main dish servings or can be cut into smaller pieces and served as an appetizer.