Tex-Mex Pizzas

Hey, you! Hope you had a wonderful weekend celebrating Mothers Day. I'm excited about getting this week started out with these pizzas. This recipe is a fun one and I'm super stoked to share it with you.

You make these pizzas using 10 in tortillas. Rad, huh? The toppings you could put on these are limitless really, but for today I'm going to show you how I made these (pictured). I was inspired by the Tex-Mex egg rolls you get at Cheesecake Factory. The flavor and ingredients are the same as the egg-rolls, just a different form. I was barely able to get the photos I did of these pizzas because they were disappearing so fast! Enjoy, dearies.

Recipe (yield 6-8 tortilla pizzas):

1 package of 10 in tortillas

1 16oz bag frozen corn

1 10oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 medium onion, diced

3/4 of a 4 oz can of jalapenos

1 1/4 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

1 1/4 teaspoons cumin

1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese + more to top the pizzas

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil to saute the vegetables

+ oil for brushing on the tortillas (I used canola)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Brush each tortilla with oil on both sides. Use about 1 1/2 -2 teaspoons of oil. Working in batches of two, transfer tortillas to baking sheet and bake until golden, flipping halfway through baking time, about 5 minutes. When tortillas finish baking transfer them to a plate. Reserve for later.

Add olive oil to a large saute pan, heat over medium heat. When hot, add diced pepper and onion. Saute for a few minutes or until soft. To the onion and pepper, add frozen corn, black beans, spinach, jalapenos, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine all ingredients, give it a taste and add a little more cumin or chili powder if you think it needs it. I say this because you never know how long peoples spices have been in their cupboard for-- the longer they've been in the cupboard the less potent they'll be.

Cook mixture for another 4-5 minutes or until hot. Remove pan from heat and add your 1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack. Stir until the cheese is melted.

Spoon the mixture onto reserved tortillas, about a heaping cup...maybe even a little more.

Top with more shredded Monterey Jack.

Bake in 425 degree for 5-6 minutes or until cheese is fully melted.

Remove from oven and slice into fourths using a pizza cutter. Serve with Avocado-Ranch Dipping Sauce (recipe below).

Side notes: If you want to make the topping in advance and refrigerate it, just make sure you reheat the topping before assembling the pizzas and baking them. The topping will keep in your fridge for 2-3 days. You can also add diced cooked chicken to the topping if you'd like. If you decide to do this, I would use 2 chicken breasts.

Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce:

1 avocado, smashed

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon dried dill

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoons black pepper

1/4 teaspoons salt

Using a fork, thoroughly mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. If you want the sauce to be smoother, you can use a blender to mix all the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Cover and refrigerate before serving. The sauce will taste better after it's been refrigerated for at least an hour.

images by Briana