Nacho Pizza

If you've been following this blog for a while you will have noticed that we love pizza in this house.  I mean, what kid doesn't?  Since we can't just order a pizza, we tend to get creative when we decide to have pizza nights.  We've had stromboli, buffalo chicken pizza (I should probably share that one!), flat bread pizza, pizza bake, bagel pizzas, good old fashioned pizzas.  My oldest has been asking me to make a taco pizza for some time now.  We had a sort of taco pizza casserole a while back- with prepackaged dough and ground beef.  But since we no longer eat prepackaged foods, and I don't eat red meat, I had to come up with something new. So we hunted through the cabinets and fridge to see what we had on hand and this is what we came up with: A vegan Nacho Pizza.
This took about an hour to make, start to finish. And that was with help from my 9 year old, wrangling a toddler, and chasing down a puppy who stole a few toys and shoes while I was trying to make dinner. You know, just a typical evening with kids.  On my own it would have taken about 45 minutes.

Nacho Pizza:

•  Pizza Crust ( the recipe for my homemade crust )
• 1 tsp cooking oil
• 1 can vegan refried beans (I used Trader Joes)
• 1 can organic red kidney beans
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1/4 onion, diced finely
• 1/2 package taco seasoning ( I used Trader Joes)
• Dairy free/lactose free cheese of your choice 
• 2-3 green onions, diced
• handful cherry tomatoes, chopped.

1. Make your crust. I leave this totally up to you. This recipe can easily be made gluten free if you make a gluten free crust.  You could also use a store bought crust if you are crunched for time.  We have a tried and true recipe we use each time we make pizza- it takes about 10 minutes and is so much better than store bought.  Once your crust is ready press it out on a pizza pan and set it aside.

 2. Dice the onions, chop your peppers and tomatoes.  Preheat a skillet and add a teaspoon of cooking oil of your choice.  (I used GMO free canola oil).  Once the skillet is heated add the onions and peppers. Cook over medium heat until the onions start to become translucent.   Add the chopped tomatoes.  Drain and rinse the beans, and add them to the pan.  Let this mixture cook on low-medium heat until the tomatoes cook down.

3. Add a handful of taco seasoning to the veggie and bean mixture. The seasoning I use is spicy so I don't add a lot because of the kids.  You can add more or less depending on your preference.  Let simmer until the tomatoes have cooked down to make a sauce.

4. Spread the pizza crust with refried beans.  Top that with the bean and tomato mixture, and then top with cheese. Sprinkle with a little extra taco seasoning (about a teaspoon).

5. Bake according to directions for the crust-mine baked at 425F- until the cheese is melted and the crust is done. About 2 minute before it is done, pull it out, sprinkle with chopped grape tomatoes and diced green onion.  Put back in the oven to warm the topping. 

This tasted just like nachos on a pizza crust. The beans take the place of meat nicely- it is very filling. You could use black beans instead of kidney- it really is your preference.  Topped with a little homemade guacamole, or just left as is, it was a great, easy weeknight dinner.  Kid tested and approved. 

We also had Kale chips on the side.

*Thanks to my husband for grabbing the camera and taking pictures while I made this. Otherwise there wouldn't have been a post today.
*This recipe is Vegan and can be made Gluten Free.