The Kitchen Door

If you grew up in the 1970′s and 80′s then you remember an epic historical event that rocked the world. No, I’m not talking about Watergate or The Test Tube Baby, or the U.S. hockey team beating out Russia in the Olympics (though that event was made into one of my all time favorite movies… “Miracle” check it out).

Those things were great, (well not Watergate) but that’s not the event to which I refer. I’m talking about… drum roll … the invention of the Taco Pizza by Pizza Hut! Do you remember it? I sure do!

My brother and I pestered our Mom to take us to Pizza Hut to try this culinary marvel, non stop until she relented. There was even an annoying little jingle that television channels 4, 7 and 13 (that’s all there was back then) played EVERY single commercial time. It went like this (to the tune of the Mexican Hat Dance Song)… clears throat… ahem…

It’s a pizza looking, taco tasting, pizza, a pizza looking, taco tasting, pizza, a pizza looking, taco tasting, pizza. New Taco Pizza at Pizza Hut. :D

The pizza that I made for dinner tonight harkened back to those carefree days and brought back many fond memories of me eating this Mexican, Italian, yet all American dish with my little brother there under the red roof of our town’s best and most magical, restaurant.

If you have never tasted a taco pizza… well, you’re in for a treat. You’ve gotta make this. You must! Reagan cried “Mr. Gorbechev, tear down that wall” while we were pestering our Mom “Mom, can we have taco pizza, can we , can we, can we? Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please!” You’ll be glad to know that both Gorbechev and our Mom said “Meh. Sure why not?  Anything to shut you up.”  

So celebrate freedom and yummy stuff. Make one tonight.

Taco Pizza

It's a pizza! It's a taco! Wait! You're both right... it's a Taco Pizza!

The Ingredients

• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup browned ground beef (you could even add a little chorizo to kick things up a notch)
• 1/2 cup  black beans
• 2 cups monterey jack cheese (or 1 cup of cheddar and 1 cup of monterey jack)
• 1/4 cup scallions, diced
• cilantro, chopped (optional)
• Also optional but quite yummy when added: fresh lettuce and tomatoes sprinkled on top and a little dollop of sour cream.

Easy Pizza Crust:

• 1 packet yeast
• 1 cup very warm water
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2-2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup cornmeal

The Instructions

For the Pizza:

1. Spread the salsa on top of a prepared crust.
2. Sprinkle cheese across the crust.
3. Sprinkle meat and beans over the cheese.
4. Bake in an oven preheated to 425 degrees for 14-16 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh diced scallions and cilantro before serving.

For the Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place the warm water in the bowl.
3. Whisk the yeast and sugar into the bowl and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. The mixture should puff up slightly and foam around the top.
4. Stir in two cups of flour, then drizzle the olive oil all over the dough.
5. Slowly add the rest of the flour a tablespoon at a time then knead it carefully in the bowl until it’s smooth and elastic feeling (about 3-5 minutes of kneading).

Sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza stone, then roll the pizza out on top of the cornmeal. Once a thin crust is formed, bake in preheated oven for 7-9 minutes. Top with your favorite pizza toppings.    

By: The Kitchen Door as adapted from The Family Kitchen Website

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