D’s Taco Pizza

Dish Description
We love to order taco pizza from the local pizza parlor but it got too expensive. So I came up with this variation of it that my family loves! It can be suited to match anyone’s tastes and the ready-made crust makes it a snap on busy days.
Ingredients
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 (1 ounce) packet taco seasoning mix
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 cup refried beans
  • 1 12-inch prepared pizza crust
  • 1 1/2 cups Mexican-style shredded four-cheese blend
  • 2 cups shredded lettuce
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onion
  • 1/2 cup Mexican-style shredded four-cheese blend
  • 1 cup sour cream, or as desired (optional)
  • 1 cup salsa, or as desired (optional)

Directions
  • Cook and stir the ground beef, onion, and garlic together in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the beef is completely browned; drain fat from the skillet.
  • Stir the taco seasoning mix and water into the beef mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
  • Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Place the prepared pizza curst on a baking sheet.
  • Blend the diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, salsa, and cilantro in a blender until smooth.
  • Spread the refried beans in an even layer on the prepared pizza crust, leaving a border of about 1/2-inch uncovered around the outside.
  • Spread about 1 cup of the diced tomato mixture over the refried beans in an even layer; reserve the remaining sauce.
  • Scatter the ground beef mixture over the layer of sauce.
  • Cover the beef with 1 1/2 cups Mexican-style shredded cheese blend.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is bubbly and the edges of the crust are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes; set aside to cool 5 minutes.
  • Top the pizza with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, black olives, green onions, and 1/2 cup Mexican-style shredded cheese blend. Serve with the reserved sauce, sour cream, and 1 cup salsa.