Make Pizza at Home Part 2: Taco Pizza

Taco Pizza, hot from the oven, topped with seasoned burger and cheddar and Monteray Jack cheese

Here's a different take on making pizza at home, Taco Pizza. This is NOT the fat and calorie laden fast food one you may be familiar with, but something my sister and I came up with years ago, when we REALLY wanted tacos but had no taco shells or corn tortillas to fry.
FIRST, I made my usual pizza crust recipe but instead of using 1T. cornmeal, I removed 1 T. flour and used 2 T. cornmeal.  I also dusted the crust liberally with a little more cornmeal. Then, instead of tomato sauce, I spread salsa over the uncooked crust. We like Chi Chi's Original in the medium heat. Don't be too generous with the salsa, just spread it evenly and thinly.
Next, I added some leftover taco meat (made from 93% lean ground beef, but whatever your family likes is fine) from dinner a few nights before. If you don't have any leftover meat, try spreading some refried beans on the crust BEFORE the salsa, and then you'll have a vegetarian version of this, which is just as tasty! Next, the pizza gets sprinkled liberally with cheddar and monterey jack cheeses, black olives and some roasted red peppers, diced up, and pickled jalapeno peppers. Into a 400 degree oven for about 17 minutes, and the result you see above!
Now, here's the twist: When you serve this pizza, top it like you would a taco. We used shredded lettuce, a little sour cream, as well as more salsa, jalapenos and cheese, because you can NEVER have enough cheese!  And, voila, an original creation that is super tasty. See the completed slice below:

A perfect slice of Taco Pizza, topped with lettuce, salsa, black olives and a little more cheese

Doesn't that look good? I promise -- you will LOVE this take on pizza! You'll never want to go back to that fast food pizza thingie from the place with the bell! Happy Holidays!

Love Chocolate?

I don't eat a lot of sweets, but if I do, I like them home-made, rich and more often than not, CHOCOLATE! I like to make pies because they are, well, easy as pie. This recipe is an old family favorite. It is written exactly as it was given to me by my mother-in-law more than 20 years ago, who got it from a dear family friend.

Next time you need to bring a delicious dessert to a dinner or want to treat your own family, or are simply craving chocolate, try this. And, don't forget to buy premium vanilla ice cream to go along with it!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

1 9" unbaked pie crust, your own or purchased

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

2 T. butter

3 eggs

1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. dark corn syrup

3/4 c. pecans (whole or pieces)

Preheat oven to 375 degress.

Melt chocolate with the 2 T. butter, over a double boiler or in a large measuring cup in the microwave. Beat the eggs with the sugar, and mix in the melted chocolate and dark corn syrup. Stir in the pecans and pour the entire mixture into your pie shell.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 - 45 minutes.

Serves 8.

Easy huh? Now you know why the saying is so true...

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Once again, I find myself craving Mexican food, specifically Chicken Enchiladas Suizas from the of blessed memory Richmond fave, La Siesta. Those ooey, gooey, cheesey, rich white sauced enchiladas, loaded with fat and calories. What's a girl to do? Gotta' have 'em! So, to satisfy my craving and not break the bank -- uh, calorie bank that is -- I created this casserole, using leftover baked chicken (rotisserie from the store works fine) and some lower fat, lower cal ingredients. I also eliminated frying the tortillas briefly in oil, as most recipes call for, which helps out. I bet you are going to like this one, next time you want something rich and creamy!

Beth's Chicken Enchilada Casserole
2 cups cooked chicken, diced, skin removed
6 corn tortillas
1 c. shredded cracker barrel 2% milk low fat sharp cheddar cheese
1 c. shredded monterey jack cheese
1 can chopped green chilies, divided use 1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken or mushroom soup
1/3 c. light sour cream 
1/4 c. salsa verde
1 green onion, sliced, green and white parts
6 black olives, halved (optional)
Cooking spray

First make your sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together 1/2 of the canned chilies, soup, sour cream and salsa verde. Remove 1/2 c. of this mixture and in another bowl, mix it with the chicken, the remaining green chilies and the sliced green onion.
Cut your tortillas into four pieces. Spray an 8X8" square baking dish with cooking spray. Take 3 of the tortillas (12 pieces) and layer them in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. Dump in the chicken mixture and spread it evenly over the tortillas. Add the two cheeses. Cover this with the remaining 12 pieces of tortillas. Spread all of the remaining sauce over the top of this as evenly as you can. Sprinkle with the halved black olives if desired. Bake it covered with foil, low and slow, about 325 degrees for 50 minutes to 1 hour until it is hot and bubbly. Let it cool at least 10 minutes before you cut it, to give it a chance to come back together. Makes 6 big pieces. We like to serve it with fat free refried bean from the can, gussied up with a few spoonfuls of our favorite salsa and topped with some shredded lettuce. My son insists I serve guacamole with it too, but he's a growing boy and can take the calories better than his old mom!

Craving pizza?

I must admit, that of all the fast foods and take out, the one I really WANT is pizza. If you are trying to eat healthy, pizza can be a challenge. It's covered with cheese, right? For take out, the best alternative I've found is to order a thin crust veggie. Overall, it's lower in calories and fat, simply because there is less crust and no meat. However, there is that argument that this is not REALLY pizza -- no chewy crust, no gooey strings of cheese. What's a pizza lover to do? Here's a recipe that might help when you are craving ooey, gooey goodness!

Cheese Lovers Roasted Garlic Pizza

One 10 oz. refrigerated pizza crust or make your own (using 1-2 T. olive oil only!)

8 garlic cloves, roasted (method to follow)

3 oz. shredded part skim mozarella cheese

3 oz. shredded fontina or provolone cheese

1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 T. shredded fresh basil

3 large plum tomatoes, sliced

2 T. good grated parmesan cheese


First, prepare your roasted garlic. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place the whole cloves on a square of aluminum foil. Drizzle them with a little olive oil, just enough to wet them. Wrap the foil around them, sealing it up so the oil doesn't leak out. Roast them for 20 minutes, until soft and lightly browned. Now, on with the pizza. Raise your oven temp. to 425 degress F.Spray your pie pan (12" round or 13 X 9" cookie sheet) with cooking spray (use the olive oil kind if you have it). Unroll your pizza dough and press into the prepared pan. Take your roasted garlic out of it pouch, and using your fingers, press out the cloves from their skins. Place them on the dough, evenly spacing them so there is about one for every slice of pizza. Mash them slightly with the back of a spoon. Add your tomatoes, basil and cheese. Bake until cheese is bubbly, about 12 - 15 minutes.

NOTE: If you put the cheese on the very top, it will get a little brown. If you want "softer cheese" put the tomatoes on the top and add some more "free food" VEGGIES! Try mushrooms, peppers or onions for very few calories and more great taste! I like roasted red peppers and (I must confess!) canned mushrooms.

If you use the refrigerated crust and cut it into 8 slices, each slice is approx. 206 calories, with 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of fiber. Your homemade crust may be slightly more, but should still be ok if you keep to the suggested 1-2 T. olive oil.
Enjoy! And in the words of our favorite and first TV chef, Bon Appetit!