When Pizza Night Meets Taco Night
Why choose between pizza and tacos when you can have both? These fun pizza tacos turn two family favorites into one deliciously cheesy, crispy creation. Soft flour tortillas are folded around a savory pizza-style filling, then baked until golden and the cheese is bubbling.
They are easy enough for a casual family dinner, fun enough for a party, and customizable enough that everyone can create their own favorite combination. A little roasted Hatch chile adds just the right Southwest touch.
FUN PIZZA TACOS
Serves: 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS
• 12 small flour tortillas (6-inch), warmed
• 1 pound Italian sausage, mild or hot
• ½ cup diced pepperoni
• 1½ cups pizza sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• ½ cup roasted Hatch chile, peeled, seeded and diced
• ½ cup diced green bell pepper
• ¼ cup sliced black olives
• ¼ cup diced red onion
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• Crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for finishing
• Cooking spray or a little olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare the filling. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brown the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Drain any excess fat.
2. Add the pizza flavors. Stir in the diced pepperoni, Hatch chile, bell pepper, red onion, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Cook for 2–3 minutes. Stir in the pizza sauce and simmer for another 3 minutes. Add crushed red pepper if desired.
3. Fill the tortillas. Warm the flour tortillas until flexible. Spoon the sausage mixture down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Monterey Jack, then add a few olives or other favorite pizza toppings.
4. Fold and bake. Fold each tortilla in half and arrange the tacos in a lightly greased baking dish, slightly overlapping if necessary. Lightly brush or spray the tops with oil. Bake for 8–10 minutes, turning once if desired, until the tortillas are lightly crisp and the cheese is melted.
5. Finish and serve. Sprinkle with Parmesan and fresh basil or parsley. Serve immediately with warm pizza sauce for dipping.
MAKE THEM YOUR OWN
The fun of these pizza tacos is creating your own combination. Try pepperoni and black olives; Italian sausage with mushrooms and Hatch chile; or chicken, roasted Hatch chile and Monterey Jack. For an extra Southwest touch, drizzle the finished tacos with Hatch chile ranch or serve them with warm red chile sauce for dipping.
LOCAL BEER PAIRING
Sierra Blanca Green Chile Cerveza
For a true New Mexico finish, serve these Fun Pizza Tacos with a cold Sierra Blanca Green Chile Cerveza. This crisp lager’s roasted Hatch chile character makes it a natural partner for the savory sausage, pepperoni, melted cheese and Hatch chile in the tacos.
It’s a fun Southwest pairing that brings together two things New Mexicans know well: good food and Hatch chile.
BRUCE’S CULINARY CONFIDENTIAL TIP
For the best texture, use small flour tortillas and do not overfill them. The goal is a crisp, golden edge with a hot, cheesy center. Warming the tortillas before filling also helps prevent them from cracking when folded.
Bruce Lesman is a weekly food columnist and culinary creative. His Culinary Confidential column appears in four Southwest regional newspapers, reaching more than 50,000 readers. His culinary career includes serving as Corporate Food & Beverage Director for Cunard and Seabourn Cruise Lines, Vice President of Canyon Ranch Wellness Resorts, and Lead Consultant for the Miami Culinary Institute. He resides in Nogal, New Mexico.
