Taco Pizza

Taco Pizza

1 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup olive oil

1 can (14 ounce) black beans

1 teaspoon taco seasoning (prepared, or make your own)

salt to taste

4 whole corn tortillas, sliced into thin strips

1/2 cup canola oil, for frying

1 cup grated sharp cheddar

1 cup grated Monterey jack cheese

1 head romaine lettuce, sliced/shredded thin

2 whole ripe tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1/4 cup sour cream

3 tablespoon hot sauce

Make the pizza dough: Mix yeast with warm water and set aside for 8 to 10 minutes.  Mix flour, salt, and olive oil in a mixing bowl.  With speed on low, drizzle in yeast/water mixture.  Allow to mix until combined.  Cover bowl with a towel and set bowl in a warm, draft-free place.  Allow to rise for 1 to 2 hours.

Pour black beans into a saucepan.  Add taco seasoning and salt to taste and heat up beans over medium-low heat.  Use a potato masher to mash the beans to desired texture.  Continue cooking/heating beans, stirring occasionally, until no longer runny (should be the texture of refried beans.  Set aside.

In a small skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat.  When hot enough to fry, drop in the tortilla strips in batches, frying quickly and removing from oil with a fork when crisp-about 30-45 seconds per batch.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and lightly salt.  Set aside.

Mix together sour cream and hot sauce, adding enough hot sauce to make the mixture pourable.  Set aside.

Place oven rack in the bottom position in the oven.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Remove half the pizza dough from the bowl.  Place remaining half in a large plastic bag and refrigerate, saving for another use.  With hands, spread pizza dough on an oiled baking sheet, making sure it's relatively thin.  Spread a layer of beans all over the pizza crust.  Sprinkle grated cheeses over the top.  Place pan in the oven (in the bottom half of the oven) and bake for 9-12 minutes or until crust is golden.

Remove pizza from oven.  Sprinkle with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and cilantro leaves.  With a spoon (or you can use a pastry bag) drizzle sour cream/hot sauce mixture over finished pizza.  Sprinkle with tortilla strips.  Cut into squares and serve immediately with good quality salsa. 

*I think this pizza would be delicious with sliced avocados or guacamole, but my avocado could have been used in place of a baseball (it was that hard).

Adapted slightly from Pioneer Women Cooks