Love all the flavors of Taco Bell Mexican pizzas, but don’t feel like dealing with the unknown ingredient list? Homemade Mexican pizzas are the answer to that down and dirty Taco Bell craving that hits every so often. Lean ground beef and beans sandwiched between two tostadas and baked with enchilada sauce and cheese on top. These will be your new Mexican weeknight dinner go to.

Nothing says I love you quite like Taco Bell. Wait! Better yet, nothing says I love you quite like your favorite food blogger sparing you from ingesting all the mystery (mysterious, yet still delicious) ingredients from Taco Bell by making you a little classic T-Bell copycat recipe.

True love.

I am on a fast food copycat kick here! Last week, I made my favorite copycat White Castle sliders. Yesterday, I made these tacos from Foodiecrush. They are the real deal, hard-shell copycat Taco Bell. I meal-planned for the week without realizing that Mike would not be home for dinner. It worked out in my favor because this dinner was basically my Valentine to myself.

Don’t worry; he got the leftovers for lunch today.

Mike and I used to go on dates to Taco Bell in college. For real! It is cheap, and good, and they don’t get mad if you sit and talk and refill your Pepsi a million times. College Stefanie refused to drink diet soda.

We will see how that plays out health-wise years from now.

When I say, “…nothing says love like homemade Mexican pizzas,” I mean it! I whipped these up as a quick lunch for myself and Mike. I like my pizza heavy on beans, tomatoes, and green onions. Mike likes his pizza easy beans, lots of meat and cheese, and easy tomatoes.

The last thing you are probably thinking about for Valentine’s Day is refried beans. It’s OK. I know I am in the minority with my unabashed love of beans of all sorts. Save this recipe for your next weeknight dinner.

The homemade Mexican pizzas are great for more than one meal.

Cook your lean ground beef with onions and spices. Save the beef and onion mixture in the fridge or freezer and cook pizzas off as needed… ya know, when that Taco Bell craving hits.

Which for me is usually about once a week, at least. 

Homemade Mexican Pizzas

Yield: 6-8 Pizzas

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Homemade Mexican Pizzas just like Taco Bell. Lean ground beef, onions, and spices smashed between two tostadas with beans and cheese and covered in enchilada sauce and more cheese.

Print

Ingredients

• FOR THE FILLING:
• 1lb lean ground beef
• 1/2 yellow onion, minced
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp red enchilada sauce
• 1 cup reduced fat or vegetarian canned refried beans
• FOR THE PIZZAS:
• 12 tostadas
• 1 cup red enchilada sauce
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 grated monterey jack cheese or mozzarella cheese
• 1 tomato, seeded and diced
• 4 green onions, chopped
• fresh chopped cilantro and queso fresco crumbles, optional additional toppings

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Set aside two medium baking sheets.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat for 1 minute. Add beef and cook for about 7 minutes until it starts to brown, while breaking apart the meat as it cooks.
3. Once the meat browns, add the onions and garlic. Cook an additional 2 minutes. Once the onions are translucent, mix in the seasonings and 2 tbsp of enchilada sauce. Remove from heat.
4. Add beans and enchilada sauce to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds just to soften them up. Mix to combine.
5. Arrange 6 tostadas, 3 tostadas each on the baking sheets. Spread about 2 tbsp of the beans down first. Top with 1/4 - 1/2 cup of the meat mixture. Cover with another tostada.
6. Top each covering tostada with 1-2 tbsp red enchilada sauce and equal parts of the cheese blend. Place the tostadas in the oven for 5-7 minutes until the cheese melts and the edges of the tostadas begin to turn golden.
7. Once out of the oven, top each pizza with diced tomatoes and green onions. Serve hot.