In the world of good eats, I pride myself on being good at a few things. I’d like to think I can make a mean batch of cookies, a delicious cocktail and one tasty pizza. This creation did not disappoint.

Crust. If your pizza has a bad crust or a bad sauce, its over. I have a few tried and true dough recipes and this one hands down is my favorite. It freezes well if you want to save it, and keeps good in the fridge for a later use also.

Start with 1 1/8 cup of warm water. Warm, not hot. Yeast can be tricky. Cold water won’t activate it and hot water will kill it. A package of yeast or if measured out, 2 1/4 tsp. Add a pinch of sugar, this will help get things moving. The sugar will feed your yeast and ensure your yeast is still active, it will be frothy and bubbly once you stir it.

Let that hang out while you gather your dry ingredients.

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tbsp olive oil 

1 1/2 tsp salt

Add your water and mix. Get your hands in there and knead it until it comes together. You might be tempted to add more flour because your hands are a sticky doughy mess. Don’t do it. Once that oil finally mixes in, it will soften and be easier to manage. Adding more flour is just going to dry out your end result.

Place dough in well oiled bowl, cover and put in a warm spot in your kitchen. Let rise for at least one hour if not longer. Mine sat for a few hours before I messed with it. This gave me time to prep my toppings.

This is the part that makes this pizza deluxe. Some fancy toppings.

All things magical happen when you use fresh herbs. Especially cilantro. This is going to be our sauce that we’ll add on top of everything.

I roughly chopped a handful of cilantro and added it to about 1/2 cup of sour cream, a couple tablespoons of lime juice and one half of an avocado. Blend until smooth. I added a couple tablespoons of water to help break it all up.

Putting it into a squeeze bottle is totally optional. I feel that it makes it easier at the end when I’m putting the pizza together.

I might need to make more, because this bottle is going to get eaten all by myself. yuuummmmmm

Chopped shallots and yellow tomatoes are my “salsa”. You can use any onion or tomato. I prefer shallots, they are a bit sweeter and once yellow tomatoes are in season, that’s the only tomato I buy.

I browned a pound of ground turkey and once cooked, added taco seasoning and prepared the meat just as I would for actual tacos.

By this time, I can prepare my crust and prep my pizza. This recipe will make two pizzas. If you aren’t making two at that time, divide the dough in half and freeze or refrigerate for later. But if your like me, you’ll eat an entire pizza yourself and you need to make two to feed everyone else.

Lightly flour your surface and roll your dough to desired thickness.

Placed on greased pizza sheets and then brush the top with olive oil.

Now we top them. The base is really simple. A can of refried beans split between the two. I read a lot of recipes that called for a mixture of beans and salsa and I really prefer just beans.

Next up, cheese. I used a bag of store bought shredded Mexican blend. I’ve also done one with just pepper jack and it was just as good.

Top with your cooked meat. I prefer ground turkey, even for my tacos, but you can use ground beef if you like.

 Cook in a 400 degree oven until browned, approx 15 mins.

Let your pizzas cool down a bit and top with shredded lettuce. I used a bag of pre shredded iceberg lettuce, I like the crunch of it best.

Add your tomato shallot mix and drizzle your sauce over it.

Now excuse me while I got back for seconds. Oh, who am I kidding? Fourths….

Deluxe Taco Pizza

dough:

1 1/8 cup warm water

2 1/4 tsp (1 pkg) active dry yeast

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp salt

toppings:

1 can refried beans

1 lb cooked ground turkey or beef

1 bag shredded cheese

chopped lettuce

chopped tomato and onion

sauce:

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tbsp lime juice

1/2 avocado

cilantro