TACO BELL: MEXICAN PIZZA

SAVE: 105 CALORIES, 25 G FAT, 9 G SAT. FAT

M y friend Jim has a son who may just be the cutest little boy I’ve ever seen. Thus I refer to him as WCLB, short for “World’s Cutest Little Boy.”

When I ran into Jim at a recent culinary convention, he asked how I was progressing on this book. I mentioned that I was so excited to learn during my attempts to re-create Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza that I could turn a flour tortilla into a wonderfully thin and crispy pizza crust by simply baking it. Jim thought it was an interesting idea, so he went home and tried it for himself. He called me a couple of weeks later to tell me that he liked it so much that he served pizzas at WCLB’s second birthday party using the tortilla crusts.

Whether or not you’re a fan of Mexican Pizza (I am!), it’s worth making the “crusts.” Top them with your favorite pizza sauce, low-fat cheese, and toppings—meals really don’t get much easier than that.

1½ teaspoons Taco Bell Seasoning Mix

¼ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoons water

2 ounces 96% lean ground beef (about ¼ cup)

2 flour tortillas (7"), 98% fat-free

3½ tablespoons canned fat-free refried beans

2 tablespoons mild picante sauce

¼ ounce (about 2 tablespoons) finely shredded fat-free pepper jack cheese

½ ounce (about 2½ tablespoons) finely shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

½ ounce (about ¼ cup) finely shredded low-fat yellow Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes

1½ tablespoons chopped green onion tops

PREHEAT the oven to 400°F.

In a small bowl, combine the seasoning mix, chili powder, paprika, and water. Stir until smooth. Set aside.

Preheat a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until drops of water sizzle when splashed on the pan. Crumble the beef into the pan. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until no longer pink. Stir in the reserved seasoning mixture. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until no liquid remains. Remove from the heat. Cover to keep warm.

Place the tortillas in a single layer on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until just crisp and starting to brown. If air pockets form during baking, carefully pierce with a fork and press down to deflate.

Leave the tortillas on the baking sheet. Spread 1 tortilla evenly with the beans, leaving a bare ½" border. Evenly spoon the beef mixture over the beans. Top with the remaining tortilla. Spread evenly with picante sauce, leaving a bare ½" border. Sprinkle on the cheeses in layers, first the jack cheese, then the mozzarella cheese, and last the Cheddar cheese. Top with the tomatoes and onions.

Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the cheeses melt. Cut into 4 wedges.

MAKES 1 SERVING

445 calories, 30 g protein, 67 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat, 2 g sat. fat, 9 g fiber

Original Taco Bell Mexican Pizza: 550 calories, 21 g protein, 46 g carbohydrates, 31 g fat, 11 g sat. fat, 7 g fiber

BEFORE YOU START Do not attempt to substitute low-carb tortillas for the low-fat ones in this recipe. They will not crisp properly.

Also, take note of the specific order in which to add the cheeses. When using a fat-free cheese, it is always best to layer it below other cheeses with some fat or even under sauce. This strategy prevents the fat-free cheese from drying out, which it otherwise will tend to do. The resulting texture and feel will be more similar to that of full-fat cheese.