Taco Pizza

My, oh my. Those of you from small town middle America are probably familiar with Casey's General Store pizza. If not, let me explain. Casey's is in fact a gas station/ convenience store. They have managed to monopolize small towns all across Iowa. Typically if there is no other local pizza restaurant in town, there will be Casey's to feed your cravings and convenience store needs. Growing up, their taco pizza was my favorite. Okay, well actually there breakfast pizza was my absolute favorite, but I have yet to conquer that recipe. For dinner though, there is nothing like Casey's taco pizza.

We finally did get a couple of Casey's around our suburban area. Sadly, none of their pizzas are gluten free. Justin has been able to order his Friday night homage a couple of times while I've been away. So, my challenge was to make something as close to the real thing as possible. While I forgot to round out my toppings with the traditional nacho cheese flavored chips for the picture, Justin agreed that this was pretty close to the real deal. If you are looking for a fun, tasty weekend family dinner or miss your Casey's pizza since going gluten free, you will want to try this Taco Pizza recipe!

Taco Pizza
inspired by Casey's General Store

1 1/4 cup gluten free Bisquick
1/4 cup yellow corn meal
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1/3 cup canola oil
1 16 oz. can fat-free refried beans
1 4.5 oz. can diced green chilies
1/4 cup gluten free taco sauce
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
4 tablespoons gluten-free taco seasoning, divided
1 cup shredded 2% cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
Additional taco sauce, sour cream, and crushed nacho cheese flavored tortilla chips for topping

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the Bisquick, corn meal, water, egg, and canola oil with a fork until thoroughly combined. Press the dough into the bottom of the casserole dish. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. The top of the crust will appear cracked. This is okay.

Meanwhile, in a medium sized non-stick skillet, cook the ground beef until browned. Drain well and stir in 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning until the beef is coated with the seasoning. Set aside. In another mixing bowl, mix together the refried beans, green chilies, and remaining 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning. Stir until mixed through. Spread the bean mixture over the crust. Next, spoon the beef evenly over the beans. Then, sprinkle the cheese over the beef. Bake in the oven for an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese begins to turn lightly brown and bubbly. Remove from the oven. Top with the lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, and any additional suggested toppings before cutting and serving.