It’s no secret that we all love Mexican food in this house. I recently went to a friend’s cooking class where the entire meal had a Mexican theme, and it was right up my alley. I’ve decided to recreate and post everything, so it will take up the rest of this week and all of next week as well. I sure hope you like Mexican food because I’ve got a little something for everyone: A little rice, a little refried beans, a bird with an absolute awesome glaze, an incredible dessert and even some Mexican coffee. IT IS AMAZING! 
This particular dish did not come from the class but I made it for the boys’ dinner the same day as the class, along with the awesome Banana Quesadillas for dessert (stay tuned for that tomorrow!) This taco pizza was already on my menu plan for the month so I thought it was a perfect way to kick off this Mexican inspired mini-series.
Taco Pizza
1 tube (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza crust
1 pound lean ground turkey (or chicken or beef)
3/4 cup water
1 envelope taco seasoning (1/4 cup)
1 can (16 oz) refried beans*
1 – 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded pizza cheese blend
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
7 cups shredded lettuce
2 cups tortilla chips, crushed
1. Unroll crust onto a regular sized cookie sheet lightly coated with cooking spray (or lined with parchment paper). Build up edges slightly, and bake at 425* for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, cook turkey over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in refried beans until blended.
*Since I rarely have canned refried beans in my pantry I simply used a canned of Trader Joes organic pinto beans, mashed them up and then added it to the meat. It worked great, though without the extra fat content it did take a little extra elbow grease to spread the mixture over the pizza crust.
3. Spread meat and bean mixture over the crust; sprinkle with cheese. Place back in oven at 425* for 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with crushed chips, tomatoes, and lettuce. Serve immediately.
Additional Suggestions: I served this with taco sauce but salsa or pico de gallo would go great with it. Also other toppings such as black olives, sour cream and guacamole would be delicious.
