Taco Pizza

I'd like you to think that I was organized enough to make this on Sunday for Cinco de Mayo.  You just think that while in fact, I actually made coconut chicken fingers.  So festive of me, right?  Well they were delish too and the recipe is to come.  But, I made this Taco Pizza earlier in the week and we gobbled it down.

Mr. Schwartz could eat tacos every day of the week if I let him.  I'm not kidding.  Every.single.day.of.the.week.  While I love tacos, I don't love them quite as much as Mr. Schwartz does.  A girl has got to have some variety.  So, in the sake of pleasing the Hus and myself with a little variety, I came up with this Taco Pizza.  It is super quick, just about as easy as regular tacos and very, very tasty.

Start with chopping an onion and tossing it in a pan with some canola oil.

Add your meat of choice.  I used lean ground turkey.

Once browned and crumbled, add your favorite taco seasoning.  You can make your own, and I have, but the packaged stuff works just fine as well.

Add a little water and let it simmer for a few minutes.

That's when you can work on the dough.  I used my favorite fool proof pizza dough from Lauren's Latest.  It seriously does not fail.  If you are in a pinch, you could always use store bought pizza dough.  I hear most pizza joints sell their dough as well.  I know for a fact that Trader Joe's does and it's fab.

Whatever dough you have, spread it out as evenly as you can on a jelly roll pan that is inverted and dusted with cornmeal.  Clearly I like to make a big mess.  I probably should have cut this amount in half and gone with a thinner crust.  I will next time...

Take a fork and poke a bunch of holes in the dough.  Pop it in a 415 degree oven for about 4 minutes to "pre-bake" it.

Boom. Pre-baked.

Take your taco meat and add it to the crust

Along with a bunch of cheese.  Like a BUNCH of cheese. Back into the oven it goes for about another 5-7 minutes or until the crust becomes golden brown and the cheese is all melted.

Like this.

That's the cheese I was talking about....

Then top with your favorite taco toppings.  Here I have a simple taco sauce...

But then things get wild.  My mother-in-law's pickled jalapenos....

And lettuce.  Mr. Schwartz added sour cream too.  He's crazy like that.

A new twist on an old favorite.  We fell in love.

Taco Pizza

1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound ground turkey, chicken or beef
1 packet taco seasoning + 1 tablespoon more
2/3 cup water
1/2 recipe for pizza dough or a store bought variety
1/8 cup cornmeal
2 cups shredded cheddar, pepper jack, Monterey jack or a combination of all cheese

For topping:
Taco/hot sauce
Pickled jalapenos
Shredded lettuce
Sour cream

Start by preheating the oven to 415 degrees.

In a medium skillet, add the canola oil and chopped onion.  Let cook for about 3-4 minutes and add the meat.  Cook until no longer pink and add the taco seasoning and water.  Turn the heat down and let simmer while you work on the dough.

Flip a jelly roll pan upside down and dust the bottom of it with cornmeal.  Spread the pizza dough out evenly on the pan and prick all over with a fork.  Pop it in the oven for about 4 minutes to "pre-bake" the crust.

Remove the crust from the oven and spread the meat out evenly on top.  Sprinkle with cheese and put it back in the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted.

Cut pizza into pieces and garnish with toppings.

Enjoy!

Recipe by: Mrs. Schwartz