Mexican Pizza Skillet

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Have you heard the recent buzz in the food world about Taco Bell’s announcement to discontinue several menu items?  On the list of menu items getting the axe is the beloved Mexican Pizza.  ¡Ay dios mio! The Mexican Pizza is my absolute FAVORITE menu item. In fact, I think I have ordered a Mexican Pizza EVERY!SINGLE!TIME! I’ve ever gone to Taco Bell (that’s a lot of Mexican pizzas if you count my high school and college years). I’m definitely going to make a “run for the border” to order the cheesy cult classic from Taco Bell before it’s too late.

I decided to come up with a recipe for a “Mexican Pizza Skillet”. This recipe isn’t meant to be an exact replica of Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza, BUT my inspiration for it came from the famous menu item. With cooler temps around the corner, I am working on some recipes that are perfect for fall evenings. I plan to add this recipe into our weeknight dinner rotation.  These are the ingredients you will need to make my Mexican Pizza Skillet:

  • 9 Crispy Corn Tostadas (8 whole tostadas + 1 broken into 2 pieces)

  • 1 16 oz can of refried beans

  • 1 lb of lean ground beef or turkey

  • 1 packet of Taco Seasoning

  • 2 ½ cups of shredded cheese

  • 1/4 cup of Taco Bell Mild Sauce

  • 1 small tomato, diced

  • 1 green onion, chopped

  • salt and pepper to taste

*Taco Bell carries their own line of products at most large grocery chains. I opted to use Taco Bell’s shredded cheese, refried beans, taco seasoning, and mild sauce in my recipe.

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Mexican Pizza Skillet Recipe

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

While your oven is preheating, brown your ground beef or turkey in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once your meat has browned, season it according to package instructions with your taco seasoning packet. While your meat is simmering in the taco seasoning, heat up your refried beans in a microwave-safe bowl covered with a paper towel. Set your seasoned meat and warmed beans aside.

For the First Layer

Spread the warm refried beans over the tops of 4 and 1 half crispy corn tostadas covering each all the way to the edges. Place the crispy tostadas covered in refried beans into your skillet making sure to cover the entire bottom.

Top the first layer evenly with all of your seasoned meat. Cover the seasoned meat with 1 cup of shredded cheese.

For the Second Layer

Place the 4 and one-half remaining tostadas on top of the first layer. Drizzle ¼ cup of Taco Bell mild sauce over each tostada.  Sprinkle the remaining 1.5 cups of shredded cheese on top of the top layer. Finally, sprinkle the top with diced tomatoes and chopped green onions.

Into the Oven

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 6-8 minutes, or until cheese is completely melted. Remove the skillet from the oven and slice into 6 wedges. Serve with a side salad and/or tortilla chips and guacamole.

I’m hoping the announcement about removing the Mexican Pizza from the Taco Bell menu is just a ploy to drive up sales through November. Fingers crossed Taco Bell will decide to keep my favorite menu item on board. Liv Mas, and if you get a chance, please try my recipe!

-XOXO-

Sally

Food, Entrees, Appetizers