Skinny Mexican Pizza

It's that time of year... kids home for summer, and always hungry!  My teens love Taco Bell, but I pretty much limit my Taco Bell experience to approximately two times a year.  When I do go, I've always enjoyed the Mexican Pizza there; but goodness gracious... do you know how much fat is in one of those things?! You know the one I'm talking about - Two crisp pizza shells filled with seasoned ground beef, hearty beans and then topped with pizza sauce, a three cheese blend melted to perfection, and topped with diced ripe tomatoes. (According to their website, 540 calories, 30 grams of fat.)

Well here is my answer for a stay-at-home, control-your-own-ingredients, much lower fat AND heartier version!  We are going to substitute whole wheat tortillas for the pizza shells, seasoned ground turkey for the beef, no-fat refried beans instead of the fully leaded ones, and fat free salsas for the pizza sauce.  We'll still have the cheese (my personal downfall, although you get to control the amount, and can use a reduced fat version) and the ripe diced tomatoes.. and we'll throw on some sliced black olives and thinly sliced green onions to liven things up.  

The verdict? This was hearty enough and "beefy" enough to fool my oldest who came in at lunch time from football practice.  You will NOT be able to distinguish this turkey from the normal beef!  This is a perfect, VERY filling lunch or afternoon snack for your family, that is endlessly customizable, and filled with lean protein, lots of fiber, vitamins and calcium out the wazoo!!  *Each one of these is enough to feed two hungry teens... and you can't say that for the Taco Bell version, either!

                  Watch me make these on the Video Link to cook along with me!!

Click for Printable Recipe

 
Ingredients: (enough to feed 3 - 6 people)                

• 6 whole wheat flour tortillas, medium sized
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• seasonings - salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, oregano
• 1 packet of beef flavored "flavor boost" (concentrated stock)
• 1 pkg Taco Bell taco seasoning
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 can Taco Bell fat free refried beans
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• medium Taco Bell taco sauce
• salsas of choice - Herdez red salsa and green salsa verde
• 1 diced tomato
• 1 small can sliced black olives
• Mexican blend grated cheese
• 2 fresh green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• serve with - reduced fat sour cream, spicy guacamole

Step-by-step:

Brush the whole wheat tortillas with canola oil and broil in the oven about 4-5 minutes per side until puffy and golden.  They look so cool when they puff!  Very rustic.

100% whole wheat flour tortillas

Brush with canola oil

 

Broil on both sides several minutes until brown and puffy.

Break up and brown the ground turkey in a non-stick skillet so you won't have to add any excess oil.  Add salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and a bit of oregano to the turkey as it is browning.  Once it's cooked through, add one packet of beef flavored "flavor boost" stock, taco seasoning and water.  Let it cook until this makes a thick'ish sauce, then turn off the heat.

1 pound of ground turkey... pure lean protein!

About 1/2 tsp kosher salt

About 1 1/2  tsp black pepper

About 1 1/2  tsp cumin

About 1 tsp dried oregano

About 1 tsp chili powder

We're going to "fool" our culinary audience into thinking this is the same ground beef as we get at Taco Bell.  This concentrated beef stock will go a long ways towards dressing up our ground turkey in a cow suit!

 

Add 1 packet of the concentrated beef stock.

Add the packet of taco seasoning.  Since we are trying to replicate Taco Bell, I'm going to go with their seasoning products.

Add 3/4 cup water.

Here's our "beefy" ground meat.

To the refried beans, add a little chicken stock to thin it out.  We want to be able to spread it.

These fat free beans are loaded with protein and fiber.. without the fat.

Thin out the beans with a little chicken stock. Maybe half a cup.  This also pumps up the flavor.

Smooth and creamy now.

Assembly:  To the bottom tortilla, paint with red salsa, then add meat and a layer of cheese.  To the second tortilla, add beans, then flip over where the beans are on the bottom next to the cheese.  To the top of the second tortilla, paint with green salsa, add cheese, taco sauce, tomatoes, olives and green onions (or whatever you choose).

Obviously, feel free to choose your brands of choice.  But I find this brand to be fairly authentic tasting.

Add the meat to the first tortilla.  Now maybe you've noticed that my tortilla is a tiny bit browner than you'd like it.  I left one of my kids in charge of  crisping the tortillas while I went to pick up the oldest from football practice.  But you know what?  In the grand scheme of things (as my mother used to say), it's really no big deal.  It's skill building, creative thinking, time together, and a huge learning process when you let your kids help you cook. 

Add the red salsa to the beef.  - you could also paint the bottom tortilla with it.

Add some cheese.  This will help to glue it altogether.

To the under side of the top tortilla, spread a thin layer of beans.

Flip the top tortilla over so that the beans are on the bottom.

Paint the top tortilla with the salsa verde.  If you don't care for this, use the red salsa again.  Hey - this is your meal!

Add cheese to the top.  Okay, so maybe I forgot the "low fat" concept when it came time for the cheese.  I can't help myself.  But just think of all the fat we shaved off in the bottom layer of goodies!

Drizzle some taco sauce over the top.

Dress up your pizza with diced tomatoes, green onions and sliced olives.  However you think you'd like it!

Bake at 400 F until all melted or put it back under the broiler in the oven.  Seriously, is there anything better than the site of melted cheese?!

Cut into wedges with a lonnnnng knife and serve with condiments of choice.  I like spicy guacamole and some reduced fat sour cream.  Yumm!!  This is perfect for summer with a tall ice cold bottled Mexican beverage of choice - like one with a lime stuck in the top of it.

Mom and kid approved!!

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Here are some bonus recipes for you.
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Tomato Basil Chicken

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Written Directions:

Brush whole wheat tortillas with canola oil and broil in the oven about 4-5 minutes per side until puffy and golden.  Break up and brown the ground turkey in a non-stick skillet, adding salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and a bit of oregano as it is browning.  Once it's cooked through, add one packet of beef "flavor boost" stock, taco seasoning and water.  Let it cook until this makes a thick'ish sauce, then turn off the heat.  To the refried beans, add a little chicken stock to thin it out.  We want to be able to spread it.

Assembly:  To the bottom tortilla, paint with red salsa, then add meat and a layer of cheese.  To the second tortilla, add beans, then flip over where the beans are on the bottom next to the cheese.  To the top of the second tortilla, paint with green salsa, add cheese, taco sauce, tomatoes, olives and green onions (or whatever you choose).

Bake at 400 F until all melted or put it back under the broiler in the oven. Cut into wedges with a long knife and serve with condiments of choice.