Taco Pleasing Pizza

A Tex-Mex taco pizza featuring a toothsome cornmeal crust infused with mild green chiles topped with a chili meat sauce, Monterey Jack cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and ripe olives.

Recipe Ingredients:

Cornmeal crust:
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup milk
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Topping:
1 pound lean ground pork or beef
1 (16-ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cups shredded Wisconsin Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
1 cup ripe olive halves

Cooking Directions:

1. For Cornmeal crust: Sift together cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk, green chiles and oil to dry ingredients; mix well. Press dough into buttered 13-inch round pizza pan; shape edge to form ridge.
2. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (205°C) for about 10 minutes.
3. For Topping: Brown meat; drain off excess fat. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste and chili powder; mix well. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer about 5 minutes.
4. Spread meat mixture over partially baked crust; top with 1 cup of cheese.
5. Continue baking at 400°F (205°C) for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Cut into wedges before or after topping with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, olives and remaining cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe provided courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.