Mexican Meat-zza: Mexican Deep-Dish Pan Pizza
This 'Mexican Meat-zza' is a unique deep-dish pan pizza featuring a savory cornbread crust. Ground beef, seasoned with chili powder and cumin, is layered over the baked cornbread along with shredded Cheddar or jack cheese, bell peppers, chilies, tomatoes, and olives. Baked briefly to melt the cheese, it's then garnished with scallions and cilantro, offering a hearty and flavorful twist on traditional pizza, perfect for a family meal.
Equipment
- 1 Large Oven-Safe Nonstick Skillet 10-12 inch, ensure handle is oven-safe or double-wrap with foil
- 1 Medium Skillet For browning ground beef
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
Main
- 2 boxes corn muffin mix 8 1/2 ounces each (recommended: Jiffy)
- 2 eggs
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- Extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil, for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin or vegetable oil 2 turns of the pan
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons cayenne sauce
- Salt
- 2 1/2 cups 10-ounce sack from dairy aisle shredded Cheddar or jack cheese
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 small can 2 1/4 ounces sliced chillies or jalapenos, drained
- 2 scallions chopped
- 2 small vine ripe tomatoes seeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons drained sliced green olives salad olives
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves optional garnish
- Mild to medium taco sauce to pass at table 1 cup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Mix together 2 packages muffin mix with 2 eggs, 4 tablespoons melted butter (melt in microwave 30 seconds), 1 1/2 cups milk and frozen corn kernels. Wipe a nonstick skillet with a little extra or vegetable oil and pour in the muffin mix. Use a large skillet, 10 to 12 inch. Choose a pan with oven safe handle or, double-wrap handle with foil to protect it in the oven. Place pan in oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes in center of the oven until light golden in color.
- Brown the meat over medium high heat in a second skillet in extra or vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add onions and spices and cook meat 5 minutes more.
- Remove cornbread from oven and top with meat, cheese, and veggies. Add pan back to oven and cook 5 minutes more to melt cheese. Garnish with cilantro, optional. Cut into 8 wedges and serve the deep dish pan pizza from the skillet. Pass taco sauce at the table to sprinkle on top.
Notes
To ensure the cornbread base bakes evenly and prevents a soggy bottom, make sure your skillet is adequately heated with a light oil film before pouring in the batter. For an elevated flavor profile, consider incorporating a small amount of roasted green chiles or a pinch of extra cheese directly into the corn muffin mix. When browning the ground beef, achieve a good sear for maximum flavor development and drain any excess fat to prevent a greasy final product. Adjust chili powder and cumin to taste, and don't shy away from a touch more cayenne sauce for a bolder kick. For presentation and fresh texture, add the diced tomatoes, scallions, and olives after the final bake to retain their vibrant color and slight crunch. Always taste and adjust seasoning for the meat mixture before assembling.