Meg Goes Nom Nom

Happy Meatless Monday! I have a really easy homemade pizza recipe for you today.

For the crust, I tried a new find in my grocer’s refrigerated section – a whole grain pizza crust. This tube of dough was pressed into a greased 13”x9” baking dish, and baked for 8 minutes, to get things started.

After pre-baking the crust for 8 minutes, I then used a spatula to spread one can of refried black beans over the crust. I’m a huge refried bean fan!

Next, arguably the best part – CHEESE! I used six ounces of shredded Colby Jack but you could also use Cheddar, or really, whatever you fancy!

Spread the cheese evenly over the beans, then bake for another 12-14 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned around the edges and the cheese is melted.

This pizza has just a few easy toppings, making for simply prep work.

After baking, I sprinkled the pizza with one cup of chopped red bell pepper.

And with 1/2 cup of chopped scallions. Love the colors going on here!

Things are looking good!

Serve pizza with sour cream and salsa. I love salsa verde, so I went with that. Use your fave! Or you could drizzle hot sauce or taco sauce on top as well. Pickled jalapeños anyone!?

Above, I possibly chose the worst plate ever for photographing this pizza! The pizza blends right into the plate like camouflage!

Being the strange one I am, I dirtied a second plate to get this shot for you – enjoy!

That’s much better, right!?

I served the pizza with a side of dressed baby greens, to balance things out a bit.

If you’re a fan of refried beans and cheese you will love this pizza!

The whole wheat dough I bought was tasty – it had a mild sweetness that actually paired really well with the salty toppings on the crust; not the mention the added fiber, protein, and other nutrients versus regular pizza crust. Granted, a homemade whole wheat crust would probably be a healthier option, but this refrigerated crust is a great time saver for busy nights.

Perfect for Meatless Mondays! Or any night you need a fast, tasty dinner.

—

Mexican Black Bean and Cheese Pizza

Adapted from BHG

Ingredients:

• 1 tube refrigerated pizza dough (I used a 13.8 oz  package of whole wheat dough)
• 15 oz can refried black beans
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Colby-jack cheese or cheddar (6 oz)
• 1 small chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup sliced green onion
• 4 T salsa verde (or your favorite salsa or taco sauce)
• 1/2 cup light sour cream

Instructions:

1. Unroll dough and press into a greased 13”x9” baking dish. Bake in a 400 F degree oven for 8 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven.
2. Use a spatula to spread refried beans over crust. Sprinkle evenly with shredded cheese. Bake for another 12-14 minutes 400 F degrees, until edges of crust are browned and cheese is melted.
3. Remove pizza from oven. Top with chopped bell pepper and scallions. Slice, and serve with sour cream and salsa.

Yield: 8 slices

My rating: 7.5/10