Cinco de Mayo Pizza

I was craving the Chichen Itza Pizza I made a while back, when I realized that Cinco de Mayo was coming up and it was about time I did a pizza in honor of it. Okay, so I'm French. And the day is a celebration about victory against the French. But I've spent a lot of time in Mexico and I happen to love not only Mexican food, but the border food that has been spawned out of the traditional. This is definitely not any more authentically Mexican food than the Chichen Itza Pizza was authentically Aztec, but does that matter if it tastes great? No, says I.

Cinco de Mayo Pizza
This Crust (I recommend that you pre-cook this 5 minutes. I didn't, and it was really difficult to move with the heavy toppings.)

Toppings:
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/3 cup mild green chili peppers, seeded and chopped
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 cups shredded beef (I used leftover roast)
1 can refried beans (I really like Rosarita Black)
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/3 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Queso Quesadilla cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Asadero cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 525ºF. Saute onion and chili pepper in olive oil. Roll out dough (pre-cook if desired), and top with beef, beans, onion & chili pepper, tomatoes, cilantro, and cheeses. Bake on a pizza stone for 13 minutes or until done (watch closely).







Another version (vegetarian):


My daughter can't eat beef (intolerance) so I sometimes do a vegetarian or poultry version of dinner for her. Toppings on this pizza were simply black beans, fresh salsa, and a combination of Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla, Monterey jack, and Asadero cheeses.


Dave and Isaac ocean fishing in beautiful Mazatlan, Mexico several years ago. (click for larger image)