Taco Pizza {Using Up Leftovers}

I hate it when there are enough leftovers to keep, but not enough to make a whole meal out of. It means I have to get creative. Our house has adopted an old motto, "Use it up, wear it out, make do or go without." I try very hard not to throw out any food, and we usually do a pretty good job of it.

Anyway, as I was cleaning I found a couple containers full of taco fixin's from a couple nights ago. Aha! I knew what I was going to make for dinner. 

Enter taco pizza. 

I make mine a little differently than most people, but hang with me and give it a shot. It's so good and everyone loves it. Besides, it's a good way to use up a little bit of leftovers and make enough food to feed a hungry crowd. Yum!

Use whatever you would like for crust, I make my own but you don't have to. Although, I think you should~ it's so good and easy. But that's another post :) The toppings are totally customizable as well, use what you like and leave off what you don't. Had I been making these for adults, I would have added sliced jalapenos and spicy taco sauce to my list of ingredients. I was feeding little people though, so I kept them pretty tame.

Taco Pizza

2 -12 inch pizza crusts
1 small can of refried beans (or use leftovers, they freeze really well!)
1 small jar pizza sauce
2 cups (or more) taco seasoned meat (again, use leftovers)
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 head iceburg lettuce, finely shredded
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 can olives, drained and sliced
1 paket (or 2 tablespoons) taco seasoning
Sour Cream
Doritos, nacho or taco flavor
Hot Sauce, optional
Salsa, optional
Guacamole, optioinal
Sliced jalapenos, optional

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread 1/2 the can of refried beans on one pizza crust. Top with 1/2 cup pizza sauce, followed by 1/2 the meat and 1/2 the cheese. Shake 1 tablespoon taco seasoning over the top and then add your desired amount of onions and bake until the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle 1/2 the shredded lettuce, tomato and olives over the top. Put some sour cream in a plastic sandwich bag and snip off the corner. Drizzle the sour cream artistically over the top of the pizza. Crush doritos and add them over the top of the sour cream. Add any addtional toppings, slice and serve. Repeat with all steps to make the 2nd pizza.

The intense taco flavor, followed by the smooth and creamy beans and crunchy fresh toppings is so amazingly good. I don't know how else to explain the flavors and goodness of this pizza. It will rival your favorite pizza chains taco pizza and cost a fraction of the price.

Wanna know how much it cost me to make these 2 pizzas? By using leftovers and a few ingredients from my garden these cost me less than $1.50 EACH! Probably one of my better ideas, if I do say so myself.

The lesson here is that even the smallest amount of leftovers can often be added to a little something and make an entirely different, yet completely delicious meal for your family. Don't throw things away, make something new!