A while back I posted a deep dish Chicago-style pizza that I baked in my home oven, but it was made by a good friend of mine whose family owned a pizzera for three generations. One of the things I miss most about her restaurant is the deep dish taco pizzas they made on Wednesday. They used to make these little personal pan sized delights and I haven't had anything like it until tonight.
The good news is you can all make this at home pretty easily. It starts like you might suspect by browning 1 lb of ground beef with taco seasonings. I made my own using cumin, chili powder, seasoning salt, and chipotle seasoning. I bulked it up a little by adding green bell pepper, some onion, and diced green chiles.
After you have cooked the meat through, reduce the heat and add 3/4 cup of salsa and simmer for five minutes.
For the crust I used a crescent roll tube. You can buy un-perforated dough from Pillsbury. I sliced off a strip of it to line the edges of my pan and create the deep dish crust. I also poked some holes in the bottom so it could release steam and wouldn't bubble up.
Spoon your filling into the crust and top with some shredded cheddar cheese.
Bake it for 15-17 minutes at 375-degrees. You already cooked the meat through, so you really are just crisping up the crust and melting the cheese.
Assemble your toppings. You should at least have shredded lettuce and tomatoes. But I also wanted green onions and cilantro.
The sweet and flaky crust is a great vessel for all that taco filling. There is a real richness in the crust, then you get acidity from the tomatoes, salsa, and vinegary hot sauce. Finish it all off with some cool crisp lettuce and sour cream and you've got yourself a winner of a dish!
Nothing will replace the Charlie's Pizzeria void in my heart (and stomach), but this certainly goes a long way toward creating a new go-to dish when we have company over. I'm sure this will be a crowd pleaser.
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