Taco Pizza

This is one variation for toppings for our Cornmeal Crust. We have played with many variations over the years and this is our favorite. Enjoy!

For Taco Pizza:

1 C Refried Black Beans

1/2 C Salsa

1 lb Ground Beef

1/2 Yellow Onion-diced

1 pouch Frontera Taco Sauce (or your favorite taco seasoning)

8 oz Shredded Cheddar or Pepper Jack Cheese

Olives, Tomato, Lettuce, Green Onions, Guacamole and Sour Cream for garnish

Cook together beef and onions. When browned add taco sauce and take off heat. Meanwhile stir together beans and salsa in a medium bowl. Spread beans over pizza crust, spread beef over beans and top with cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees and top with desired toppings when done!

Cornmeal Pizza Crust

We probably make Pizza once a week. It's a easy dinner that will be a hit with the whole family, but we don't limit ourselves to just the traditional pie. We have a sourdough bbq pizza in our rotation, leftover corned beef and cabbage, roasted butternut squash and pecans with blue cheese, whatever we have leftover we've made into pizza. Recently someone mentioned taco pizza and while it sounded good I wanted to try a different sort of crust. This crust has a cornbread flavor with a slight crunch that makes it perfect for taco pizza, it would probably be good with BBQ or leftover chili as well.

Ingredients:

1/4 C Unsalted Butter

1 1/2 C Whole Milk

4 1/2 Tsp Active Dry Yeast

1 1/2 C Medium Grind Cornmeal

2 1/2 C Unbleached Flour, plus more for kneading *

2 Tbs Evaperated Cane Sugar

2 1/2 tsp Wheat Gluten

1 tsp Sea Salt

*(You could use Bread Flour instead and drop the extra gluten)

In a small saucepan melt butter, when melted add milk til warm but not hot. While butter is melting combine yeast, cornmeal, flour, sugar, gluten and salt in a large bowl. (I use gluten in this recipe because I am replacing a significant amount of flour with cornmeal. Cornmeal does not contain gluten and without the added gluten the crust would not rise correctly or hold together.) Once butter and milk are warm, mix into flour and stir until it forms a loose ball. Sprinkle a little flour onto counter, turn dough ball out onto counter. Knead dough adding flour as needed until dough is slightly tacky and elastic.

Place dough into lightly oil bowl, cover with a clean towel and place in a warm spot until dough has doubled in volume, about an hour to an hour and a half. 

(Before rise)

(After Rise)

Divide dough in half, roll out half of the dough and place on a pizza pan. 

Place other half of dough in plastic bag and store in refrigerator for up to 10 days (it may turn dark by 10 days but if it smells fine it's all good). Preheat oven to 400 degrees, top with desired toppings and bake for 15-20 minutes. 

Butternut Squash and Apple Gratin

I'm always on the lookout for recipes that can easily be assembled ahead of time and that are tasty enough to possibly make it on the menu for Thanksgiving. This recipe gets bonus points this year as another use for all the apples we have!

If you omit the bacon and use vegetable broth it makes a great vegetarian side dish.

Butternut Squash and Apple Gratin
  Serves 8

1 large Butternut Squash

4 medium Apples 

1 medium Yellow Onion, diced

1/4 C Whole Wheat Flour

1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika 

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Cinnamon 

1 1/2 C Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

3 slices of cooked Bacon, chopped

1 C Chicken or Vegetable Broth

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking pan and set aside. In a small bowl mix together flour, paprika, salt and cinnamon. Peel, seed and cube butternut squash into  1/2 inch chunks.  Peel and cut apples into similar sized pieces. Toss squash, onions and apples in a large bowl with flour mixture. Mix one cup of grated cheddar and chopped bacon into squash (reserve 1/2 cup of cheese for later). Pour squash mixture into prepared pan, add broth, cover with foil and bake 1 hour. After 1 hour remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake additional 15 minutes.